Harry Potter and the Red Rose
by Hollow Haven
Summary: The trio are back at Hogwarts for their 5th year and hectic emotions run haywire. Ron figures out his true feelings for Hermione, but will he tell her when it's too late?And will a chilling past re-do itself, the way it was ment to be?Final Chapter up
1. A Suspected Suprise

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked into Hogwarts with their robes drenched with water from the rain that was pouring down on the grounds of Hogwarts on their first day back. Hermione Granger wrung out the water that was on her hair and drenched Harry and Ron even more.  
  
"Bloody 'ell that was alot of rain" said Ron Weasley as he tried to shake all the water out of his short red hair. The trio made their way to the Great Hall. The four long tables stretched out across the room with the house banners above each of the four tables. The three of them made their way to the Gryffindor table where they were greeted by familiar faces.  
  
"Wonder who the new Quidditch captain is gonna be" said Fred Weasley as he and George Weasley sat down to their best friend Lee Jordan.  
  
"And the new keeper" George added.  
  
"Attention students" Professor Dumbledore said as he stood up from his chair at the very front of the Great Hall where all the teachers sat. "Before we begin the sorting ceremony, I would like to remind all students that the Forbidden Forest is off limits to whoever does not wish to be expelled. On further notice, Professor Moddy will not be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he will still be walking around the halls making sure everyone follows the rules" Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked over at Draco Malfoy over at the Slytherin table, and saw that his face had turned more pale then usual. "Therefore, I would like to introduce the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Figgs"  
  
Harry's mouth dropped as a rather old lady stood up. Harry's mouth dropped only because Harry had recognized the women as the mad old Mrs. Figgs with all the cats that lived only two blocks away from the Dursleys.  
  
"And also, there will be a Defense Against the Dark Arts assistant" Dumbledore continued. "Fluer Delecour"  
  
This time, Ron's mouth dropped when a young girl girl stood up as she brushed her long silvery hair out of her eyes.  
  
"How did she get to be an assistant" Hermione hissed softley to Harry as she watched Ron go completly dazed. He was gazing up at Fleur with enchantment in his eyes. Hermione scowled at him. Harry wanted to laugh at Ron for being completley mesmorized by Fluer, but decided not to when he saw Hermione scowl at Ron with disapprovement.  
  
With that, Dumbledore sat down and the sorting began. Gryffindor got five new students: Xavier Harris, Gregory Andrews, Hailey Meggae, Fiona Jacobs, and a oddly scared looking girl named Gia Smith. When the sorting was over, Dumbledore clapped his hands, as magnificant sorts of food appeared on the tables.  
  
"Finally" Ron said as he grabbed for a chicken leg and stuffed it in his mouth, "So, 'Ermione" Ron said with his mouth still full "You never told us what happend with Krum"  
  
Hermione's face went red. "I went to visit him the summer like I said" Hermione mumbled as she took a bite of a rather odd looking pudding. Ron was reaching for a roll when Hermione said that. Ron looked shocked and accidently knocked over a goblet of pumpkin juice.  
  
Harry wasn't paying any attention to them. He had spotted out Cho Chang over at the Ravenclaw table, giggling with her friends, and stared at her, just the way Ron had stared at Fluer.  
  
"You....you what!" Ron exclaimed as he tried to mop up as much juice as he could with his already wet robes.  
  
"I went to Viktor's house during the summer, big deal" Hermione said, her face getting redder by the minute. "Well, I'm rather tired, so I think I'll head off to bed" Hermione said getting up from the table  
  
"But we haven't gotten the password from a prefect yet" Harry said, finally realizing that Hermione had been speaking the whole time.  
  
"I wonder what poor suck-up got prefect" Ron sniggered.  
  
Hermione flashed her eyes at Ron and reached into the pocket of her robes and pulled out a golden badge that had the words 'PREFECT' on it. "Now this suck-up would like to get some sleep" Hermione said, glaring at Ron. Ron's face went redder then his hair.  
  
"Er...." Ron stuttered.  
  
"Oh, and if you must know" Hermione stopped him. "The password is wolfsbane." And with that, Hermione walked away. 


	2. Advice From an Old Friend

I own my shoes, I own my socks, but I do not own Harry Potter, but it still rocks Thank you everyone who reviewed my story! Keep reviewing, even if it is mean.  
"The nerve of her for not telling us she was made prefect" Ron mumbled to Harry the next day as they made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. "I can't believe you're still talking about it. I think it was pretty smart of her to not tell us, because she knew you wouldn't stop babbling about it" Harry grinned at his friend. He suddenly looked around. "Where is Hermione anyway?" "She's probably off somewhere shining the stupid badge" Ron sneered as they made their way to the Gryffindor Table. "Just because Percy cleaned his badge every chance he got doesn't mean Hermione would" Harry responded, sticking up for her. "Well, I don't care if she's shining the stupid badge, I'm going to find her" Ron said, standing up from the table and suddenly walking away. Harry looked at Ron oddly as he staggered away, for Ron had never skipped a meal, let alone for Hermione. Ron didn't know why he was looking for Hermione, but he just knew that he had to find her. He looked up in the common room. He snuck through the portrait hole and slyly looked around the corner. Hermione was sitting in a chair with Crookshanks, her large ginger cat, curled up on her lap. She stroked Crookshanks gently and sighed. "How could I have been so stupid" Hermione whispered to Crookshanks? "He's been acting coldly toward me since last year. Now I can never tell him how I truly fell about him." Ron's face went dark, he knew ((or thought)) she was talking about Krum. He looked down at the ground glumly and sighed. He turned around and walked out of the Common room. He decided that he didn't want to go back to the Great Hall to face Harry, so he chose to just wander around the school. He strolled past a string of classrooms when he came to a familiar door that read: OUT OF ORDER. It was Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom. He abruptly pushed the door open and walked in. "Who's there?" said a squeaky, piercing voice as a pale ghost flew towards Ron. The ghost had long silver pigtails and large brimmed glasses "Oh.... It's you. Come to tease me some more" Myrtle glared at him. "Myrtle, I need to ask you a question," Ron said, getting a bad feeling in his stomach. He thought it was only because he had skipped breakfast, or maybe because of what he thought. "What do you want" She hissed? "My...err...friend has a problem with the person they like...and I was wondering if you had any advice for them" He mumbled being insincere. Myrtle gave one loathsome look at him and let out a long, earsplitting wail. She flew around the bathroom and flew down a sink and back up another. "Do I look like I would know" She shrieked? "All the boys made fun of me, saying, poor Myrtle, poor miserable Myrtle" She said, beginning to bawl again. "G'bye Myrtle" Ron said turning around to leave. "You're going to leave now too?" "You're not helping" Ron said rolling his eyes and turning around to face her again. "Well...if you need help with your friend" She said, slurring the word friend. "Then go to the Grey Lady. Now leave before I tell on you." "Thanks Myrtle" Ron said grinning, and without thinking twice. He ran up to Myrtle and threw his arms around her. Ron felt a sharp, cold chill run down his spine as his arms went right through her. Myrtle burst into tears again and flew off ranting on about how no one cares that she's dead. Ron felt embarrassed, but shrugged it off and ran out of there, too fast that he didn't watch where he was going. He smacked right into Hermione who had a few books in her hands that scattered all around the room. "Oh...hello Ron" Hermione said bending over to pick up the books. Ron bent down next to her and picked up one of the books and handed it to her. He looked at her dazedly and smiled. "Well...goodbye Ron" Hermione said, abruptly picking up the stack of books and scurrying away. Ron sighed and looked down at the ground. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a little red book in the corner of the room. "Hermione" He yelled, trying to get her attention so she could come back and retrieve her book, but it was too late. He walked over to the book and picked it up. It was red with a gold bordering with no title on it. He opened it up to the last page that had writing on it. Dear journal, Ever since I've came back to Hogwarts, it feels like I don't belong here anymore. Now I sort of wished that I hadn't brok... Ron was about to read what came next, when a large, green water balloon landed on his head, bursting everywhere.  
  
"Icker little Ronnie Weasel got wet" cackled Peeves the Poltergeist as he threw another water balloon at him. But this time Ron dodged it. He quickly closed the journal and ran up to the Gryffindor Common Room. "What happened," Harry said laughing as Ron entered the Common Room. "Peeves" Ron scowled. "What do you have there?" Harry asked, pointing to the journal. "Uh... nothing" Ron said quickly, putting the journal in the pocket of his robes, not wanting to give up the treasure he found. "Well, we'd better be going. Astronomy starts in four minutes" Harry said, standing up from his chair. Ron nodded and they raced down to the Astronomy classroom.  
  
OOC: Question: What do you think it said in Hermione's journal? 


	3. Broken Hearts and A Visit to the Grey La...

"Good evening class" said a mysterious voice as Harry and Ron entered the disgustingly perfumed room and sat down at their usual seats. "Today we will learn about Ouji boards" Professor Trewlany said, gazing down at them. "Muggles use these for every day pleasure, not knowing how to truly use one." She said with a deep, hissful laugh. "Now, step up to the board in front of you and hold on your wand." The boards were made of red wood and had letters and numbers indented into it. In the center of it, there was a little piece of black glass. " Think of a question that you would really like to know the answer of and focus on it. Then, tap the glass in the center of the board with your wand, three times, and it will give you the answer." Professor Trewlany hesitated, and then flashed her eyes over at Seamus Finnigan. "And deary, this does not work for homework answers" She said smiling weakly at him. Seamus looked a little disappointed.  
  
Harry stepped up to the board and just thought of a question: "Will there be another ball this year?" He knew it was a stupid question, but it was a question that he needed to know the answer of. He tapped the glass three times. Harry jumped back as the piece of glass started to spin rapidly in the center of the board. It abruptly shot over to a word that said; YES. Before Harry had time to react, Professor Trewlany slid over to Harry.  
  
"Oh, dear boy, if I am not mistaken, did you ask if he-who-must-not-be- named would come back for you" Professor Trewlany said in a rather annoying sympathetic voice.  
  
"Actually" Harry tried to say before he was interrupted again.  
  
"I know how you must feel dear boy"  
  
"Actually, I just asked if there was going to be another ball this year" Harry said, rather embarrassed now that he asked that. Professor Trewlany sulked away, but he heard Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown giggle.  
  
Ron groaned. He didn't want to ask a girl to the ball, not after what happened last year. But then he thought of something that would be different about this year and smiled brightly. He stepped forward to the board and tapped the glass three times with his wand. The glass didn't hesitate and spin. It just shot over to the word: YES. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"As most of you already know, due to a certain...someone" Professor McGonagall said in Transfiguration class as she lowered her glasses to glare at Harry. "There will be a ball this Halloween. Rules are the same as last year. Only fourth years and older are allowed to attend unless they are asked to go with an older student This year, the top two students from years five, six, and seven will open the ball with their dates. Since the school year has just begun, we will determine the top students from your grades from last year and the beginning of this year. Top students will be posted tomorrow." Professor McGonagall said.  
  
Harry saw Ron gaze over at Hermione with eyes that looked like he was trying to say "Where's your Vicky now?" Hermione comprehended what he wanted to say and glared over at him. After class, they made their way back to the common room.  
  
"So 'Arry, are you going to ask Cho Chang like last year?" Ron said, smirking at him.  
  
"Are you going to ask Fleur like last year?" Harry snobbishly responded, trying to make Ron feel as embarrassed as possible. Ron's ears turned red.  
  
"Ugh...that's gross, she's practically a teacher, that's disgusting" Ron said, trying to make it as convincing as possible. He looked over at Hermione for a reaction, but she had fallen asleep on a couch by the fireplace. Harry laughed and then yawned.  
  
"Well...I'm tired, G'night" Harry said walking up the steps to the boys' dorm. Ron yawned too but instead of going upstairs he sat in the chair next to Hermione. He watched everyone scurry up to his or her room. The room was dark now except for the fire that was illuminating them. The common room was empty except for Ron and Hermione. Ron sighed and found a large cotton blanket and draped it over the sleeping Hermione. Without hesitation or thought, Ron bent over and kissed Hermione gently on the lips. He didn't realize what he did for awhile, but then it struck him like lightning and he began to panic. He didn't check if Hermione had awakened but he didn't hang around to find out. He ran quickly upstairs and jumped into his four poster bed. He lay in his bed panting. He thought, "How could I have done that? Hermione's my friend" He laid there horrified until he slowly drifted off to sleep.  
  
The next morning at breakfast, Harry and Hermione could tell there was something wrong with Ron since he wasn't eating anything. "Ron is something the matter? You haven't touched your food" Hermione said in a concerned voice; not knowing what Ron had done the night before.  
  
"Oh...err...nothing Mione, just thinking" Ron stuttered as he tapped a slice of bread on the table.  
  
"I know what you mean...I've been trying to learn as much as I can, so I can get top student, it's nice to see that you're trying." Before Harry and Ron could snicker at her for actually thinking that Ron wanted to top student, a swarm of owls zoomed across the Great Hall. A snowy white owl landed on the table right in front of Harry and dropped a parchment of paper in Harry's lap and hooted with pleasure. Hermione stroked the owl's feather.  
  
"Hello Hedwig" Harry said, feeding Hedwig a piece of bread. Harry picked up the parchment of paper. "It's from Snuffles" Harry said, trying to hold his laughter, not entirely used to calling Sirius, Snuffles. Harry read the note out loud so that only Ron and Hermione could hear.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
There's some important matter I need to speak with you about. Meet me at the Shrieking Shack on October 21st. You know the way to get there. Say hi to Ron and Hermione for me. Snuffles  
  
"That's when the first Hogsmeade trip is" Ron said, looking at the letter. Before Harry could respond, a pale blonde boy trudged up to them with his tubby minions at his side.  
  
"Trying to get top student Mudblood?" He said to Hermione. "I think you actually have to be smart to be acknowledged" He sneered.  
  
"Something you wouldn't know about, Malfoy" Ron said standing up and measuring up to Draco at least a foot taller than him. Malfoy didn't care.  
  
"Sticking up for your little girlfriend Weasel?" Malfoy hissed as Ron's ears turned bright red.  
  
"Hello Professor Moody" Harry said to Professor Moody as he walked past them. Even though Malfoy knew that the real Moody didn't turn him into a bouncing ferret the past year, he was still terrified with Moody. Even though Moody wasn't the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher anymore, he still wandered the halls of Hogwarts with his wooden leg and mysterious, magical eye, looking for any mischief. Draco looked at Moody with a terrified face and sluggishly walked away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him. Ron looked over at Hermione and gave her a comforting smile.  
  
"Don't worry Hermione, you're the smartest person I know, you'll get in" Ron grinned, his cheeks turning slightly red.  
  
"Thanks Ron, but he's right. I have to go to the library." Hermione said as she stood up and slowly walked out of the Great Hall. Ron sighed, he knew he wanted to follow her, but he also didn't want to make a fool of himself. Before Ron could react, a girl with long, sharp red hair walked into the Great Hall and over to them.  
  
"Hi Ron, Hi Harry" Ginny Weasley said as she sat down next to her brother. Harry had to do a double take. He looked over a Ginny, or at least she looked sort of like Ginny. She was much taller and pretty then the little girl Ginny that had fawned over Harry every time she saw him. "Hi Ginny" Ron said first. Ron looked up at Harry who was gazing at Ginny and bumped him.  
  
"Earth to Harry" Ron laughed, not knowing he was staring at Ginny. Harry snapped out of it.  
  
"Hello Ginny" Harry suddenly said.  
  
"Where did Hermione go? I saw her walk out of the Great Hall, I assumed you two were going to follow her, because she kept looking back" Ginny said, as she grabbed for a goblet of juice and gulped it down.  
  
"She said she had to go to the library" Ron said, watching his sister gulp down the food in front of her, faster then he could. "Err...I...I have to go to the library also" Ron said, abruptly standing up and walking out.  
  
Ron walked up to the library; he needed to speak to her. He got to the library and did the same thing he did when he was looking for her in the common room and slyly slid around a corner. Hermione was there all right, but she wasn't alone. She was talking to a tall guy with short, brown hair. She was smiling at him as he spoke.  
  
"So I was wondering... if you didn't have a date for the Halloween Ball, I was wondering if you would like to go with me" the guy said bravely.  
  
"Uh...all right...that would be lovely" Hermione said in a giggly manor that probably couldn't be recognized. The guy smiled and walked away. Ron looked down at the ground and turned around and walked away. He sighed and started to walk up to the common room, but then he remembered that Myrtle told him to go to the Grey Lady. There was just one problem, he didn't know where she was. He wandered around the school, looking for any ghost that might be able to help him find her.  
  
"Hello Ron" Nearly Headless Nick said as he floated over to Ron.  
  
"Hello Sir Nicholas...err...do you know where the Grey Lady might be" Ron asked, going slightly red that he was actually looking for her.  
  
"Well, about this time of day, she usually spends her time up in the Astronomy Tower" Nick said as he pushed he head back on his neck as it almost fell.  
  
"Thanks Nick" Ron said running off to the Astronomy tower.  
  
"Always happy to help a fellow Gryffindor out" Nick said as he floated away in the other direction. Ron ran up the Astronomy steps. He peaked around the corner and saw a pretty ghost sitting at the windowsill. She had long silver hair that had flowers and a long white gown that made her look like she had just arrived back from a wedding  
  
"Can I help you?" The Grey Lady said sweetly to Ron as he walked toward her.  
  
"I was err... wondering if you could help me with a problem that I.... My friend is having with the person they like" Ron stuttered as the Grey Lady smiled.  
  
"I may be able too...what is the problem?" The Grey Lady asked as she rested her pale hands on her lap.  
  
"Well...my friend fancies someone and really wants to tell them...but they're afraid that if they tell them...that the person they fancy will end up hating them...or something like that." Ron sputtered.  
  
The Grey Lady grinned at him "I'm sorry to say, but I cannot say anything that can help them conquer their fear of hatred. All I can say is for..." She paused and winked at him "Your friend, is just for them to follow their heart, they'll know when the right time is for them to express their feelings" She grinned at him mischievously, as though she knew something that he didn't.  
  
"Thanks...uh..." Ron began, but stopped, for he didn't know what to call her. He knew that the ghosts of the schools didn't like to be called by their house nicknames.  
  
"Call me Lara" the Grey Lady said to him.  
  
"Thanks Lara" Ron nodded as he walked down the Astronomy Tower steps.  
  
"The top students have been posted" Harry said to Ron as Harry ran up to him as he walked away from the Astronomy Tower steps. Harry and Ron ran over to where a bustling crowd had gathered. Ron looked up at the list:  
  
7th- Angelina Johnson Gregory McCain 6th- Lila Thomas Damon Christopher 5th- Hermione Granger Draco Malfoy  
  
Ron and Harry looked rather pleased with Hermione, but rather disgusted with Draco. "How did that stupid git get ((*laughs* I'm sorry, I just think that sounded really funny)) to be a top student," Ron scowled?  
  
"At least now you have a reason to ask Hermione to the ball without getting all red in the face and emotional" Harry laughed.  
  
"Yeah right, like I would want to go to the ball with her" Ron scoffed, trying to make it sound as convincing as possible. "Anyway she already has a date" he said, pretending to smile to secrete his depressed face.  
  
"Really? Who is it...wait a second. How do you know, and I don't," Harry glared at him suspiciously.  
  
"I sort of overheard her" Ron said looking away from Harry so he couldn't see his ashamed yet rather disappointed. Harry grinned yet went back to a concerned face for his friend.  
  
"Did you hear the news?" Hermione said, running up to them, smiling from ear to ear. "I just can't believe it."  
  
"We're happy for you Hermione" Ron said, giving her a weak smile.  
  
"Thanks. So, have either of you gotten dates for the ball yet?" She asked as she eyed Ron.  
  
"Not yet, but I'm planning on asking someone tonight" Harry mumbled, going slightly red in the face.  
  
"And I'm not going" Ron said, crossly turning to walk away. Hermione pulled him back.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I suddenly don't feel like going" he mumbled back to her as he turned back around and walked away.  
  
Hermione looked at him oddly as he strolled away. She shook her head, as though she suddenly shook out of a trance. "Harry, have you seen a little red book anywhere?" Hermione asked biting her lip.  
  
"A small leather one with a gold border?" Harry questioned. She nodded hopefully. "Yeah, I think Ron has it" He said. Panic swarmed in Hermione's mind.  
  
"Ron has it!" She yelled. "Oh no" she said as her jaw dropped. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ron sat in the common room with a heartbroken look on his face. He took out a quill and began writing on a parchment of paper. "Ron!" Hermione screamed as she ran into the room. Ron quickly hid the piece of paper behind his back.  
  
"Yes Mione" he said, trying to look as cheerful as possible.  
  
"Where is my journal?"  
  
"I don't know what you mean" he replied, trying to look innocent.  
  
"You know exactly what I mean."  
  
"Oh, you mean that little red book filled with crap about Vicky and your new little boyfriend" he scowled. Hermione looked offended. She took one sorrowful look at Ron and ran out of the common room crying. She didn't know where to go, but she didn't want to be anywhere near Ron. She decided to just keep walking around the school, until she found an interesting staircase. It was the staircase that led up to the Astronomy tower. She knew ((Or thought)) Ron wouldn't look up there. She hastily scurried up to the Astronomy Tower. Hermione brushed the tears from her eyes.  
  
"Can I help you?" A voice asked Hermione. Hermione turned toward the voice. It was the Grey Lady.  
  
"Oh...I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone was up here" Hermione mumbled as she wiped away her tears again. The Grey Lady, or better known as Lara, looked at Hermione with curiosity.  
  
"What is the matter?"  
  
"Oh it's nothing...it's just a guy. He gets so ignorant sometimes. It's like he'll never see me as more than just a person who is here to fix his mistakes. I feel so lost." Hermione murmured inaudibly. Lara nodded.  
  
"There's nothing I can say except what I told the young red-haired boy this morning..." Lara said, before she was interrupted.  
  
"Red-haired boy?" Hermione said confused.  
  
"Yes... a young boy about your age with red hair and freckles."  
  
"What did he want?"  
  
"Oh, he had some troubles with his friend" she smiled. "Now as I was saying... just follow your heart, you'll know what to do." She said, giving Hermione that same smile that she had given to Ron, as if she knew something that she didn't. "Well, the sun it setting, so I must go. Come back tomorrow if you need anymore help" Lara said, gliding down the staircase.  
  
Hermione sat on the ground near the window and looked out at the sunset. She jumped when she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. "Lara...I need more advice...with my friend again" a boy said as he slowly walked up the steps. The next thing Hermione saw was Ron walking toward the other side of the room, not noticing Hermione.  
  
"She left" Hermione mumbled, realizing that Lara must have been the Grey Lady's name. Ron spun around with a horrified look upon his face as he started to blush furiously. "Come to talk about me some more?" She said, her eyes about to burst into tears again.  
  
"You...you know?" Ron said in terror, as though he was about to be choked to death.  
  
"I'm quite sorry if you think of me as a nuisance, but you didn't have to go running to the Grey Lady about how much I am a bothersome to you" Hermione faltered as she looked away from Ron.  
  
"Bothersome?" Ron said looking confused. He sat down next to her and looked at her awkwardly. "I never told her you were a nuisance, I told her that I..." Ron gulped as his face began to heat up. "Hermione...there's something I need to tell you" He said, looking rather embarrassed. She turned toward him, now paying attention to his every word. He sighed, changing his mind about what he was about to say. His heart was telling him to just blurt it out and tell her how he truly felt...but his mind was telling him to stop and wait. "Hermione, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry" He muttered. She looked at him oddly, as he became smitten with looking into her eyes. He slowly leaned his head forward to hers. He closed his eyes as he got closer.  
  
"Are you up there Ron?" Said a voice coming from the bottom of the Astronomy Tower steps. Harry slowly walked up the steps as Ron abruptly pulled his head away from Hermione.  
  
"Yeah Harry, I found Hermione" Ron choked back, his face going redder than ever. Harry walked towards them, panting from the long way up from the steps.  
  
"Guess who got a date for the ball?" Harry said grinning.  
  
"Neville" Ron said, waiting for Harry's comeback.  
  
"How the bloody hell should I know" Harry said, glaring at Ron.  
  
"I give up" Ron said shrugging, finding amusement in Harry's turmoil.  
  
"I did you slug. I asked Cho Chang and she said yes" Harry said beaming.  
  
"Well that's great Harry" Hermione said smiling, as she glanced over at Ron.  
  
"Yeah, well-done" Ron said. He suddenly realized that he was sitting on the floor, with Hermione at his side. He jumped up and brushed himself off. Harry smiled and turned around and started to walk down the steps. Ron looked back at Hermione and held out his hand to help her up. She took a hold of his hand and pulled herself up.  
  
"I'm sorry too" she said looking deeply at him. He smiled and let go of her hand as they walked down the steps.  
  
~*~*~*~Harry's Flashback~*~*~*~  
  
Harry slowly stumbled through the library, looking for a book that had anything to do with a wiggenweld potion for Professor Snape's long homework assignment about the uses of it. He darted his eyes around each bookshelf when he saw a familiar face sitting at one of the tables. It was Cho Chang. It was probably the first time Harry had ever seen Cho alone that wasn't at a Quidditch match. He started to panic. He knew that he told Hermione that he would ask her that night, but why did tonight have to be that night. He breathed in deeply as though attempting something that he would never do. He remembered what happened the year before and began to panic again. He changed his mind and turned around and began to walk away. "No..." He thought. "Nothing is standing in my way" he turned back around to see her smiling at him.  
  
"Why are you walking back and forth?" She asked him in a laughing tone.  
  
"I...err... would you...yu...wou..." He stuttered, suddenly feeling dizzy. She looked at him curiously.  
  
"Are you all right Harry?" She muttered as he swayed back and forth as though he was about to faint.  
  
"What the bloody hell am I doing" Harry thought. He finally got the courage and stopped swaying. "Cho, would you like to go to the Halloween Ball with me?" He gasped out. She turned a light shade of pink.  
  
"All right Harry" She smiled brightly. Harry beamed with delight. He felt the sudden urge to jump up and down, but stopped himself from making a total buffoon of himself. He nodded and slowly turned around and walked out of the library. Completely forgetting why he was there in the first place. After he had left the library, he ran up to the common room to find Ron. But he wasn't there. He remembered seeing Ron near the Astronomy Tower that morning so he decided to go check. He quickly ran up to the Astronomy tower where he saw Ron and Hermione close together as though about to smash heads. *~*~*~END OF FLASHBACK~*~*~*  
  
Authors Notes- There will be a few flashbacks in this story, only because Harry, Ron, and Hermione can't be around together all the time, so instead of having the scenes change constantly I'll just put flashbacks. Since their is no cliffhanger for this chapter, here's a preview for next chapter- "He ran away" Ginny said, rather astounded that he was such a moron. Ron coughed, although Harry could tell that he was trying to cover up a burst of laughter. Hermione looked sad as she slid into a chair. "So now neither of you have dates?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrows. They both nodded miserably as Harry glanced over at Ron. "But top students have to have dates" Ron gulped as though he knew what he had to do. Hermione nodded as she slumped back into her seat. Ron gulped again as he looked over at Harry who nodded. "Err... Hermione" Ron began...........  
Thank you all of my reviewers-  
  
Anonymous reviewers-  
  
Roxanne ron_weasley_luva: Yes, they are in their 5th year.  
  
signed-  
  
beyond infinity EJ Hermione Weasley 


	4. Mistaken Words and a Broken Heart

A/N: Oh yeah, I still don't own Harry Potter *snaps* drat. This is probably one of my favorite chapters, because it consists of A LOT of drama. Keep reading and reviewing!  
  
They followed Harry to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"Oi Ron. Quiditch tryouts are in four days if you're still interested" said George when Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked in.  
  
"Mum told us to tell you" Fred said as he pointed to a pile of torn up red envelopes. "She sent three howlers just this morning when we told her that we weren't going to tell you" Fred and George glared at Ron as if he was the reason.  
  
"She has no sense of humor" George shrugged.  
  
"I'll think abou' it" Ron responded. "Chess 'Arry?" Ron said as he sat down in his usual chair. Harry nodded and sat down as Ron began to set up the chess set. Hermione, as usual, sat down with a large book propped up in her lap and watched them. Harry saw Ron look up at Hermione and smile dazedly and laughed at him, which seemed to break Ron out of his trance that Hermione did not seem to notice.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to go to the ball Ron?" Hermione asked yawning. He nodded as he stared down at the chessboard, remembering why he was sad. "Cause I know that Lavender Brown, Padme Patil, and Hannah Abbott don't have dates yet" she said, tapping her quill on her book.  
  
"Lavender Brown is going with Seamus, he told me this morning. I went with Padme last year... and I don't really think she was too fond of me, and who the bloody 'ell is Hannah Abbott?" He said as he counted off people with his fingers.  
  
"You know, Hannah Abbott, that Hufflepuff girl with blonde pigtails" she said, looking at him for a reaction.  
  
"I just don't want to go, all right" he said, finding sudden interest with the floor. She sighed and looked back down at her book.  
  
"First Hogsmeade trip this weekend" Harry said, trying to break the sudden silence. "That reminds me, I need to pick out a dress for the ball" Hermione said, still looking down at her book, not wanting to make eye contact with Ron. Just then, Ginny walked in with a large smile on her face.  
  
"I just got asked by a sixth year guy to go to the ball" she said in a daze as she sat in an open seat. "Hermione, can you help me pick out a dress this weekend at Hogsmeade? Ginny said beaming as if it was the best day of her life.  
  
"Sure, who asked you?" Hermione asked curiously as she looked up from her book. "Uh... Andrew Taylor" Ginny proclaimed. "He's in Ravenclaw."  
  
"What!" Hermione yelped. Ron's head shot up from the game to look at Hermione.  
  
"What's wrong Hermione? Do you not like guys from Ravenclaw" Ron laughed as Harry howled in laughter. Hermione snapped at them to make them shut up.  
  
"That's who asked me."  
  
"Are you sure?" Harry said, looking back and forth at Ginny, then back to Hermione.  
  
"Positive, come on Ginny, let's go find him" Hermione said, standing up and storming out of the common room with Ginny following behind her.  
  
"So... if they're both right, then Hermione probably won't have a date anymore" Harry said, glancing up at Ron with a mischievous look in his eye.  
  
"So..." Ron responded, turning rather red.  
  
"Oh give it up Ron, everyone knows that you fancy her, well, everyone except Hermione of course" Harry said laughing.  
  
"'Arry, this is Hermione you're talking about.... I could never fancy her."  
  
"Then why do you still have her journal" Harry asked as he eyed Ron?  
  
"I... I... I haven't read it or anything, I just found it and I was going to give it back to her" Ron stuttered, his face going scarlet red. Harry was about to say "why didn't you read it" but he stopped when Hermione and Ginny stormed into the room, stomping up towards them. "What happened?" Harry asked, looking at their angry faces.  
  
"He ran away" Ginny said, rather annoyed yet rather amazed that he was such an idiot. Ron coughed, although Harry could tell that he was just covering up a burst of laughter. Hermione looked sad as she slid into a chair.  
  
"So now neither of you have dates?" Harry said, raising his eyebrows. They both nodded miserably as Harry grinned over at Ron.  
  
"But top students have to have dates" Ron gulped as though he knew what he had to do. Hermione nodded and slumped back into the chair. Ron gulped again as he glanced over at Harry who nodded at him. "Err... Mione" Ron began, but before he could ask, a tall handsome boy with dark hazel eyes walked up to them as he brushed his blonde hair out of his face.  
  
"Hullo Hermione" he said in a deep, kind voice.  
  
"Oh, hello Damon" Hermione said smiling at him.  
  
"I was wondering..." Damon stuttered. Ron knew what was going to happen next and shot a glare over at Damon, but he just smiled back rather happy with himself. "I know we're supposed to have dates for the Halloween Ball, being top students an' all" Damon said as he flashed his eyes at Ron as if he was about to accomplish something that he didn't have the guts to do as he brushed his hair out of his face again. "I was wondering if you aren't going with anyone... if you would like to go with me" he smiled dreamily.  
  
"Uh...all right, that would be nice" Hermione said, trying to hold herself from glancing over at Ron. Damon nodded and smiled. He looked over at Ron as if he was about to gloat, but instead his just turned around and walked away. Hermione gulped and looked over at Ron who glared over at Harry and gave him a look as if he wanted to say "see this is what always happens" Harry sighed.  
  
"What were you saying Ron?" Hermione said, looking back down at her book. "  
  
Nothing" He said. "Checkmate" he mumbled to Harry in a less enthusiastic voice. Harry nodded and stood up.  
  
"Well, goodnight" he said to them. He walked toward Ron and nudged him on the shoulder. "Do something" he whispered so that only Ron could hear. Harry grinned and walked up to the boys' dormitory. Hermione still sat in the same seat as the night before with her nose buried in a book. Ron stared at her blankly, as though his whole world was crashing. About ten minutes later, Hermione noticed that Ron was staring at her.  
  
"What? Do I have something on my face" she said, looking at him awkwardly?  
  
"No" he muttered as she looked back down at her book.  
  
"You're perfect" he mumbled back so that she couldn't hear. ((A/N To some of you people that may sound terribly familiar, but I just thought the quote was so sweet so I decided to use it)) She looked up from her book again and looked Ron in the eye and smiled.  
  
"Well, good night" she said to him as she closed her book and slowly walked away.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So, did you tell her?" Harry said as he and Ron walked into the great hall the next morning.  
  
"Tell whom what?" Ron said confused.  
  
"Did you tell Hermione that you fancy her?"  
  
"I do not fancy her" Ron said, turning away so that Harry couldn't see him blushing. Harry laughed. It was the first weekend of school and there was chatter about the trip to Hogsmeade. Harry and Ron passed by the Hufflepuff table when a girl with long blonde hair stood up and spun around and bumped right into Ron. They both fell back onto the ground. Ron slowly got up and rubbed his head and held out his hand to help the girl up. She took a hold of it and stood up.  
  
"Clumsy me" the girl said smiling as she brushed herself off. The girl had sharp blue eyes with long, straight blonde hair. "Oh, 'ello Harry, who's your friend?" She said as she eyed Ron who smiled.  
  
"Hello Hannah, this is..." Harry started.  
  
"Hi, I'm Ron, Ron Weasley" Ron said, extending his hand out for her to shake. "Pleasure" she said, shaking his hand. "I'm Hannah Abbott" she said smiling at him as he smiled back.  
  
"Hannah... what ever happened to Ernie?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh..." she looked down at the floor. "He transferred to Durmstrang" she said sighing.  
  
"Well... If you're not hanging out with anyone tonight, do you want to join us for a butter beer at The Three Broomsticks and Hogsmeade?" Ron said quickly, then turning slightly red. She grinned at him.  
  
"That would be wicked" she nodded. Ron smiled.  
  
"All right, we'll meet you inside The Three Broomsticks at about eight" she nodded. "See you tonight then" he said, turning around and walking toward the Gryffindor table with Harry following behind him  
  
"What was that about?" Harry said stunned as they both sat down at the Gryffindor table. "I... I dunno... it just kind of slipped out... I was just being nice, because she didn't have anyone to go with tonight" Ron mumbled, rather confused with himself.  
  
"Hello" Hermione said, walking up to them and sitting down next to Harry.  
  
"Ron just asked Hannah Abbott to join us for butter beers tonight" Harry snickered as Ron waited for her reaction.  
  
"Well that's nice. Are you going to the ball with her?" Hermione asked, glancing up at Ron.  
  
"Maybe...maybe not" Ron hissed, acting rather haughty. Harry looked over at Ron hastily.  
  
"But you just said..."  
  
"I haven't decided yet" said Ron as he glared over at Harry to make him shut up. Harry rolled his eyes unpleasantly.  
  
A/N: I know...not very exciting...it does get a little more boring ((Which is needed)) but then.... Well, I won't spoil it ^_^  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Ron, Harry, and Hermione walked out onto the grounds of Hogwarts with large bags filled with food for Sirius. They walked over to the Whomping Willow that was rapidly swaying. Harry grabbed a long branch and extended his arm so the branch would hit the knob on the tree stump that would make the tree stop moving. After many times, Harry finally hit it and the tree stopped and a small door swung open. They slipped through it a climbed down a harshly lit set of stairs before they came to a illuminated room with a large blazing fire burning in the fireplace that seemed quite welcoming. A dark figure loomed from a dark corner of the room. The man was tall and muscular with a rather pale looking face.  
  
"Hello Sirius" Harry said first, breaking the silence.  
  
"I was expecting you" He said in a dark mysterious voice that had a hint of being a warm-hearted welcome.  
  
"What happened to Buckbeak?" Hermione said, looking around at the room that only had a few beds and a glistening fire. Ron and Harry had noticed that too and began to look rapidly around the room for the beast that was part eagle and part horse.  
  
"Oh, he became too much work for me" Sirius said as he began to dig through the food that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had brought him.  
  
"You didn't..." Hermione looked at a pile of bones in the corner of the room with eyes widened. Sirius got the picture and chuckled rather loudly.  
  
"Of course not... that bird was more of a brother to me than James used to be, I would never have killed it. I sold him to a nice couple up in Norway that raised animals like him. I couldn't keep him anymore, I was afraid for his safety." Sirius said, biting into a piercing red apple.  
  
"So what did you want to see us for" Harry asked? Sirius nodded and dropped a chicken leg that he had started and took out a tattered newspaper out of his pocket and tossed it to them.  
Minister Of Magic Fired  
  
After working for the Ministry of Magic for 59 years, Cornelius Fudge was apparently fired last week for reasons unknown. Resources for an anonymous person was given to the ministry that Cornelius Fudge threatened to disclose the agreement that was settled between the wizarding world and the giants that was brought together thanks to Olympe Maxime and Rubeus Hagrid. The Ministry had no proof of the threat but still voted to kick the Minister out of his job. A new Minister will be announced in a week.  
  
Harry read it out loud and looked at Sirius confused. "I bet anything that Lucius Malfoy had something to do with this" Ron said with a sneer on his face.  
  
"Who do you think the anonymous person is?" Sirius said rather straight-faced. "Let alone, who do you think the first choice for the new minister of magic is?" Ron pounded his fist into the palm of his hand.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Later that night, Harry, Hermione, and Ron walked into The Three Broomsticks and sat at their usual table. "I'll go get the drinks" Harry said getting up and walking to the bar. "Three butter beers" Harry said to Madam Rosmerta. She nodded and began to bustle around for the drinks. Just then, the door swung open and an old woman with long black robes walked in and walked towards Harry.  
  
"Hello Harry" The lady said. Harry recognized her right away. It was Ms. Figgs. She didn't look a lot like she used to when Harry saw her on Privet Drive. She looked more like a witch now than a muggle with her long black robes and a pointy hat and small-brimmed spectacles. "It's good to see you again, without all those silly muggles watching your every move" she laughed rather heartily as she tapped her hand against the counter to show that she wanted a butter beer. "Oh... and I'm dreadfully sorry about all those cats, it was just a cover up deary."  
  
"Cover up for what?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, I read that muggles own a lot of cats, so I thought if I had a lot of cats then they would think I was a muggle and let me take care of you and that conflasted cousin's birthday" she sneered. Harry beamed, he had never known anyone who actually knew the Dursleys and admitted to him that they hated them. "Well, I'll let you get back to your friends" she said grabbing her butter beer that Madam Rosmerta gave her and sat down at a small table in the corner of the room. Harry grabbed the three butter beers and walked back to his friends who looked like they had begun to argue.  
  
"Stop calling him that" Hermione yelled at Ron.  
  
"Oh... I'm very scared Hermione, are you going to get your little boyfriend Vicky to beat me up" he taunted.  
  
"You...you are so immature" Hermione hissed as she stood up and stomped out of the Three Broomsticks and bumped into Hannah as she walked in. She walked towards them with rosy cheeks from the freezing cold breeze that was outside.  
  
"Where did Hermione go?" Hannah asked, glancing over at Ron, knowing he had something to do with it.  
  
"It wasn't my fault, honesty" Ron said Harry and Hannah looked at each other, then back at Ron and laughed.  
  
"Can I sit down?" Hannah asked politely as she unwrapped her scarf from around her neck.  
  
"Yeah, sit down" Harry nodded and he handed Hannah Hermione's butter beer that she hadn't touched. Hannah took it gratefully and sat down.  
  
"Do either of you have dates for the ball?" Hannah asked, taking a sip from the mug.  
  
"I do" Harry said beaming as Ron kept his mouth shut.  
  
"Who?" She asked.  
  
"Cho Chang" he responded rather pleased with himself.  
  
How about you?" Hannah said glancing over at Ron.  
  
"I'm not going with anyone" Ron mumbled.  
  
"Hmm... I would 'ave thought that you were going with Hermione" Hannah replied. Harry laughed and beamed over at Ron.  
  
"Well I'm not.... She's a nightmare, I mean honestly... I feel kind of bad for the guy that has her for a date" He practically yelled, feeling inferior. His face suddenly went pale. He couldn't believe he had said that. Harry and Hannah looked at him with a rather disgusted face. Ron thought it couldn't get any worse, but all of a sudden, Ron heard a whimper from behind him and a door slam shut. Ron turned around just in time to see Hermione dash out of the Three Broomsticks. Ron's face went even paler. "This cannot be happening" He said as he began to breathe hard. He put his hands over his face and began to hit his head against the table.  
  
"Hermione" Harry yelled as he dashed out to follow her.  
  
"Leave me alone Harry" Hermione said struggling from bursting out crying. Hermione walked faster down the streets of Hogsmeade with Harry, who was now at running pace trying to catch up with her. She stopped and sat down on a set of stairs leading to Honeydukes. Harry sat down next to her. She put her hands over her face and burst into tears. Harry put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"He didn't mean that." She shook her head and looked up at him with a bright red face.  
  
"Didn't you hear him... he said I was a nightmare" she said, trying to wipe the tears away from her face.  
  
"Hermione, Ron thinks the world of you he's just to blind to admit that he really..." Harry wondered if Ron would punch him out if he told her that Ron fancied her. "Is sorry" Harry said.  
  
"I can't believe that he's being mean to me after what I wrote about him in... My..." Hermione stopped and looked at Harry's confused face.  
  
"Ron never read your journal" Harry said, looking at her suspiciously. Hermione's eyes widened as she began to stutter.  
  
"He didn't? I mean... not that I wrote anything personal in it anyway, it's just notes, nothing personal" She said, biting her lip. "Uh... right" Harry grinned at her.  
  
"Mione, he doesn't hate you" Harry said, putting his arm around her.  
  
"Then why would he say such a thing like that if he didn't actually mean it" she whimpered?  
  
"I... I don't know" he shrugged. "Do you want to come back for a drink?" "No" she shook her head sorrowfully. "I'll...I'll just go back to school."  
  
"Err... okay, bye" Harry said. Hermione stood up and hugged Harry tightly. Harry embraced her gently but then let go. She wiped her tears off her face again.  
  
"Thanks Harry" she smiled weakly. He smiled back and trailed off to the Three Broomsticks where Ron was still pounding his head on the table.  
  
"I think she's willing to forgive you" Harry said as he sat down.  
  
"I tried to make him stop hitting his head, but he wouldn't" Hannah said, watching Ron with an awkward stare.  
  
"How could I have said that" Ron croaked out as he stopped hitting his head?  
  
"It was an accident; you didn't mean it" Harry tried to explain.  
  
"Well, I just feel horrible" Ron muttered.  
  
"Then try telling her that" Hannah said as Harry nodded in agreement.  
  
"She won't listen to me" Ron said lying his head on the table. "Could you be a pal and tell her that I'm truly sorry Harry?" Ron said, looking up at Harry.  
  
"Uh... I guess, but it's a little late to go tell her now, she already left" Harry said, taking a sip of his butter beer.  
  
"Thanks Harry" Ron said beaming. Harry sighed; knowing this was going to be a lot harder than he thought. The night got later so they made their way back to Hogwarts.  
  
"Okay, you look for her in the common room and I'll look for her in the library" Harry said to Ron as they entered the castle.  
  
"What do I do when I find her?" Ron asked  
  
"Tell her how sorry you are."  
  
"Like I said before, she won't speak to me. How about, if I find her, then I come and find you."  
  
"Fine" Harry muttered as he began to walk to the library as Ron turned around and started to walk up to the common room. Harry slowly walked toward the library, not wanting Hermione to be there. Harry gulped as he moved slowly to the door. He reached for the knob but he slowly turned. Harry tried to move back from the door but wasn't quick enough and he bumped into the person on the other side. Their lips accidentally met. Harry wrapped his arms around the person's waist. Still kissing, he opened his eyes to see who it was.  
A/N CLIFFHANGER! I don't' know about you people, but I love cliffhangers. Just to tell you people, I do not have a sick mind... Draco Malfoy or any of his posse is not behind the door. Just wanted to make that clear. Please do not yell at me because of the cliffhanger ^_^. And just to say, I LOVE ALL THE REVIEWS! Just keep the language down to a PG level, lol. THANKYA!! 


	5. Betrayal Of an Unknown Kind

((A/N. I still don't own Harry Potter, and if I did, I wouldn't be posting my story here. First thing, Thank you so much to all my reviewers keep on reviewing! Last thing I say is...Hermione-Weasley, I'm sorry, but I have to))  
  
Reminder of last chapter:  
  
"Fine" Harry muttered as he began to walk to the library as Ron turned around and started to walk up to the common room. Harry slowly walked toward the library, not wanting Hermione to be there. Harry gulped as he moved slowly to the door. He reached for the knob but he slowly turned. Harry tried to move back from the door but wasn't quick enough and he bumped into the person on the other side. Their lips accidentally met. Harry wrapped his arms around the person's waist. Still kissing, he opened his eyes to see who it was.  
  
This Chapter:  
  
Harry opened his eyes to see that he was embracing Hermione and was dramatically kissing her. "Harry, I couldn't find Hermi...." Ron began to turn the corner to find them kissing. Hermione and Harry quickly broke free looked at each other in shock as if they hadn't known that they were kissing each other. Ron's jaw dropped as he glared at Harry with rage. Then, without saying anything, he turned and stormed away.  
  
Hermione turned towards Ron, then back at Harry and put her hands over her face. She leaned up against the wall and slid down to the ground. Harry didn't know what to say all he wanted to do was take that kiss back. Harry heard Hermione breath in deeply.  
  
"I'm...I'm sorry Hermione, it was an accident" Harry mumbled, still in state of shock.  
  
"I know" Hermione whispered.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Ron furiously walked up to the Astronomy tower, looking for Lara. "Lara" he called as he looked around. She wasn't there. Ron slumped to the ground and sat there, as a single tear rolled down his cheek. He brushed the tear away hastily and looked down at the ground. He knew he had to do something. He jumped back up and raced down the stair with rage in his eyes. He ran down the halls and raced up to the common room where he found Harry sitting on a chair.  
  
"Listen Ron, it was an accident, honestly" Harry said, standing up from his chair. Ron looked at him furiously and took his wand out of his pocket and pointed it to Harry's head. ((Oh great))  
  
"Don't move Potter" Ron said, scaring himself to the fact that he sounded a lot like Malfoy.  
  
"Ron... put your wand down" Harry said, not knowing if he was seriously going to hurt him. Ron slowly dropped his wand to the ground. ((*Sigh* No violence)) He dropped it as if he thought of something better to do. Ron pulled his fist back and slugged Harry hard in the mouth. ((I spoke too soon)) Harry wiped a drop of blood that was rolling down Harry's chin. Harry glared at Ron and without thinking, he punched Ron in the stomach. Ron fell back and landed hard on the floor. By now, all the Gryffindors had formed a circle around the fighting friends. Ron quickly jumped up and pushed Harry to the ground.  
  
"Ron!" Hermione yelled as she entered the common room and found a mob scene around Ron who was about to lunge at Harry again and Harry who was on the ground with a stream of blood on his face. Ron gave one sorrowful, yet angry look at her and stormed back out of the common room. Hermione ran up to Harry and bent down on one knee, trying to help him up. "What happened" She asked in a state of horror? Harry sat up.  
  
"I... I have no idea" Harry said, pulling himself off the ground.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ron walked along the corridors quietly so that no professors could hear him and know that he was walking around school after hours. He wished he had Harry's invisibility cloak, "But no" he thought "Harry's not my friend anymore, he took the one thing away that I truly cared about."  
  
"Ron, wait up" Hermione said, running down the hallway towards him.  
  
"I'm surprised you aren't tending to your boyfriend's needs" Ron sneered as he kept walking.  
  
"Listen to me, it was an accident" Hermione said, finally catching up with him.  
  
"What? Did you stumble and his lips broke your fall?" Ron sneered. ((I love that quote))  
  
"Ron, I went to go find you and I went to open the door and I... I accidentally bumped into Harry" She stuttered.  
  
"Why were you looking for me?" Ron finally stopped walking and turned around to face her, his face filled with confusion.  
  
"I...I... well, it's not important" Hermione stuttered.  
  
"Of course it is, how do I know you're not lying" Ron scowled.  
  
"Ron, I..." Hermione began. She stopped and began to feel dizzy. "I... I want my journal back" She stomped her foot lightly on the ground and crossed her arms. "Anyway, why do you care?"  
  
Ron ignored that last comment. "Here" Ron said, taking a little red book out of the pocket of his robes and throwing it at her. "Now you can write all about your love... Harry Potter" He hissed and turned abruptly around and began to storm away.  
  
"Ron" Hermione whimpered as a tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
"Forget it" he said, not willing to turn around and face her. Ron walked away from Hermione with thoughts buzzing around in his mind. He looked ahead of him and saw a door slightly open and moved towards it curiously, knowing that no one would be up this late, then again, he was. He moved closer to it and began to hear whimpers from inside. He opened the door and peeked in. He looked inside curiously and saw Lara sitting in a dark corner crying. "Lara is that you?"  
  
"Go away" she said, breaking into tears.  
  
"You helped me, so I want to know what's wrong," He muttered, stepping closer to her, closing the door behind him.  
  
"Does anyone want to know how I died?" She looked up at him with silver tears running down her face.  
  
Ron looked startled at the question. He had never actually wondered this, let alone thought about it for a minute. "I'm listening" he said in a comforting tone, sitting down next to the ghostly figure.  
  
"It's just that, I've given people all this advice, but then I remember the mistake I made" she said whimpering. "I had the same problem you have, with loving someone but not knowing what to do." Ron wanted to argue with that, but decided it wasn't the best time. He nodded for her to continue. "I loved him so dearly. I kept my secret affection from him for twelve years. He never knew, so he married someone else. A year later he got horribly sick, nothing magic could cure. I went to him the day he died and told him that I had always loved him. He smiled with his pale, sick face and nodded, replying that he always felt the same. Then he died... and I never left his side" she said, bursting into tears once again. Ron wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know exactly how too. "Follow your heart, but know that you cannot live a lie" he looked up at him. "I do not want you to make the same mistake that I made."  
  
"Thanks Lara" Ron said. Lara bent towards him and kissed him to the cheek. Ron felt a warm sensation as if he was sipping hot butter beer. Ron looked shocked, not at the fact that she kissed him, but the fact that she didn't go through him.  
  
"You know what to do Ronald Weasley, follow your heart and Hermione Granger will be yours" Lara whispered. In a blink of an eye, she disappeared. Thoughts were streaming through his mind, for one thing, how did she know his name.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ron didn't know exactly what do to, but what he did know was that he had to tell Hermione how he really felt. Some how, he found hi way back to the common room without getting caught by Filch or his evil cat Mrs. Norris. The common room was completely empty except for Hermione who was sitting in a chair by the fire, waiting for him. When she saw him, she jumped up and ran towards him. She had obviously been crying, for her eyes were red and puffy. She got to a point where she was right next to him and she threw her arms around his neck.  
  
"I'm sorry Ron" she whimpered as she laid her head on his shoulder. Ron looked down at her and gazed into her eyes.  
  
"I... I'm sorry too," he said, putting his hands around her to embrace her. He sighed, he wanted to hold her in his arms forever, but he knew that it wasn't possible. She let go of him and stepped back. She wiped her tears away and looked up at him and gave a weak smiled. "Listen Mione" he gulped as he walked closer and closer to her. "I was wonder..." he stopped.  
  
"What?" She said, looking at him curiously. He turned back from her, but she pulled him back. He looked into her eyes and felt to sudden urge to smile at her. He leaned towards her to kiss her, but then he heard a voice coming from the stair.  
  
"Ron is that you?" Harry asked, walking down the stairs. Ron wanted to ignore Harry so badly, but then he thought that it might not have been the best time to tell her.  
  
"Yeah Harry" Ron croaked out. Ron looked back over at Hermione who looked slightly disappointed. Harry walked towards then and Hermione sighed.  
  
"Well, I'll be off to bed so you two can talk" she muttered as she slowly walked up the steps to the girls dormitory.  
  
"Listen Ron, I just wan..."  
  
"Harry, it was my fault. I should have listened to you when you tried to tell me it was an accident." He sighed. "It's just... you know how I feel about her. I mean... you know that I truly fancy her" he mumbled silently.  
  
Harry nodded. "I told you" he smiled weakly.  
  
Ron scowled with sadness in his voice. "It doesn't matter... it will never matter."  
  
"Why doesn't it matter?"  
  
Ron sighed again. "She will never feel the same way about me the same way I do about her."  
  
"That's not true. Did you read her journal?"  
  
"No of course not." He mumbled.  
  
"Well then you don't know that for sure."  
  
"But Harry, think about it... a girl as brilliant and beautiful like her would never like a low-life guy like me" Ron sighed.  
  
Harry looked amazed. He always knew that Ron fancied Hermione, but he never knew this much. "Ron, I guess you could say she would be lucky to be with you."  
  
"It doesn't matter. I'm quite tired, so I'm going to bed" Ron said yawning and slumping up the stairs to the boys dormitory, Harry following behind him. The common room was now completely empty... except... for a little girl with piercing red hair how was holding herself from giggling rather loudly, in a dark corner of the room.  
  
(( A/N: You people like??? Once again I say that I am sorry to Hermione-Weasley, lol. Thank you DazzilinAngel555 for posting your suggestion, it was a good one, and I probably am going to use it ^_^. The quote: "What did you stumble and his lips broke your fall" was actually used in the show: "Boy Meets World" but it was revised a bit. Oh yeah, my friends wanted me to give them credit for coming up with the whole "Harry kissing Hermione and Ron seeing and him getting all mad" thing, so, thank you Kat and Harry for coming up with the idea ^_^ Thank you so much to all of my reviewers! Keep reviewing!!)) 


	6. The Unexpected Letter

((A/N Oh yeah, I still don't own Harry Potter or anything that you recognize, unless you've read this story before, than this story is still mine.))  
  
It was Ginny. She covered her mouth with her hand to keep her from bursting out laughing. Ginny quietly ran up to the girls' dormitory and ran towards Hermione's bed in which she was fast asleep. Ginny began to shake her to wake her up. "Hermione...wake up."  
  
Hermione groaned and slowly opened her eyes to find Ginny standing over her with a large smile on her face. "What to you want" she said, rubbing her eyes?  
  
"Guess what I just found out... my brother fancies you" she burst out giggling. "If you two get married, you would be my sister" Ginny said rather enthusiastically.  
  
Hermione groaned again as she closed her eyes. "Go back to sleep Ginny, you were just having a dream."  
  
"I wasn't having a dream" she tried to shake her awake again. "He really fancies you, I heard him talking to Harry and he was saying how much he loved you and that he didn't deserve you and stuff" she practically yelled. By now, the whole dormitory had awakened, rubbing their eyes.  
  
"What is it Ginny?" Lavender Brown asked yawning.  
  
"My brother Ron is in love with Hermione" she replied. Lavender Brown and her best friend Parvati Patil giggled.  
  
"Shut up" Hermione mumbled. "Ginny just had a dream."  
  
"You keep telling yourself that" Parvati laughed and lay back down. Ginny rolled her eyes and gave up. She walked over to her bed and fell back into it and instantly fell asleep.  
  
Hermione's eyes shot open. "What if she's right?" Hermione thought to herself. "Stop thinking that. Of course he doesn't fancy me; he would never like...me. Ginny must have had a dream... she must have" Hermione laid awake for the rest of the night, tossing and turning, not able to fall asleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Is something the matter 'Mione?" Ron asked Hermione the next day as she slumped into the common room with her eyes drooping and partially closed with light bags under her eyes from not getting enough sleep. "No Ron, I'm fine" Hermione mumbled as she smiled weakly. "Well, I'm going to breakfast. Are you coming?" "I'll... I'll be there in a minute" Hermione said yawning. Ron shrugged and walked out of the common room. Hermione slumped over to a random chair and sat down. She quickly jumped back up and looked down at the chair. Sticking out from the side of the cushion, as though it had been forced there, was a scroll of parchment. Hermione picked it up and began to read it.  
  
Dearest Hermione, Not a day goes by that I don't think of you. But I fear that you will never feel the same way. I cannot think of many words to say that wont make me regret it. The way you look at me with your caring eyes makes me love you even more. Ever since I saw you for the first time, I knew how I felt, I knew that I...  
  
Hermione was going to read on but she heard someone step into the common room. She suddenly threw the piece of parchment onto the table and quickly darted behind the couch. She quietly looked to see who it was. A boy with raven black hair and glasses looked around the room and glanced over at the parchment of paper and walked towards it and picked it up. He read it and nodded. He put the letter in his pocket and turned around and walked out of the common room. The boy was Harry Potter.  
  
((A/N Big shocker aint it. I know that was so short, but I wanted to stop at another cliff hanger. Thank you to all my reviewers! I don't care if you guys give me flames for this story, just if you do, please tell me what I'm doing wrong. I've decided to make this story not just about Ron and Hermione, so I'm going to try and put in a bit more of an actual plot and stuff in future chapters. Keep Reviewing!)) 


	7. A Mistaken Identity and Quidditch

((For copyright reasons and I just really don't want to go to jail, I say again, the characters in this story are not mine. Well...except for Damon, but he's sort of a jerk, so I don't want him *shrugs*. I left ya at a cliffhanger again *laughs* well, read on))  
~*FLASHBACK (Harry's P.O.V) *~  
  
"Hey Harry" Ron said, walking into the Great Hall with his books and sitting down next to me as I took a bite of a slice of toast at the Gryffindor table. Ron grabbed out one of his books and began to flip through the pages. He got to the end of the book and flipped through the pages once again, but more rapidly as if he was looking for something. He kept repeating the procedure until I stopped him.  
  
"What are you doing" I asked him rather confused?  
  
Ron looked up from his book at me with a horrified face. "I... I left my letter in the common room."  
  
"What letter?"  
  
Ron looked panicked as he began to look through the pages of all his books. "She can't read it...what if she does read it... I can't let her read it."  
  
"Ron, what are you talking about?" Before Ron could answer, Fred and George strolled up to us.  
  
"C'mon Ron, Quidditch tryouts are in four minutes" Fred said.  
  
"Yeah, c'mon" George added.  
  
"But I..." Ron stuttered, looking more terrified.  
  
"Go to tryouts, I'll go get the thing" I said as Ron's face lit up.  
  
"Thanks a lot Harry. It's a scroll of paper with a lot of writing on it. It should be somewhere lying around the common room" Ron whispered to me so Fred and George couldn't hear. I nodded as Fred and George turned Ron around and pushed him out the door. I sighed as I stood up and walked to the common room. I went through the portrait hole and looked around the empty room ((or he thought)) for any sign of what I was supposed to find. I saw a scroll of paper on the table and walked towards it and picked it up. I quickly unrolled it and read it to make sure I had grabbed the right thing. I saw what it said and held myself from laughing and nodded and strolled out of the common room to the Quidditch Pitch to find Ron.  
  
~* END OF FLASHBACK (And Harry's P.O.V.)~*  
  
Hermione stayed on the ground, looking rather stunned. "Harry had written the letter? But... I mean... why?" She thought.  
  
Harry walked down to the Quidditch Pitch where Ron was already flying high in the air on his Midnight Shadow twenty-six hundred broomstick that the school had let him use. Ron was pretty good at flying, with a proper broom, but the Midnight Shadow was pretty old and pretty slow, but Ron made the best of it. He zoomed back and forth, blocking the goals from Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell that were trying to get the quaffle through the goal. Ron wasn't as good as Wood had been, but then again, Wood played for four years. Angelina and Katie were having a rough time trying to get the quaffle through the goal. Fred blew a small silver whistle as the rest of the team flew down to the ground. Harry walked over to the circle of teammates.  
  
"Okay, the choices for keeper are: Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom, Hilary Mc Cain, and my little brother, Ronniekin Weasley" Fred said as Ron scowled at him. Fred and George handed out tiny slips of paper to each of the members on the team. "Write down the name of the keeper you want... yadayadaya."  
  
After the votes had been tallied up, George began to read the votes out loud. "One vote for Dean, one vote for Ron, one vote for... what! Blimey, someone chose Neville Longbottom?" George looked over at the girls with risen eyebrows.  
  
"What? I thought he had some potential" Katie Bell said as Neville's face turned to a shade of scarlet.  
  
Fred and George rolled their eyes as George continued to read. "And, surprisingly, the rest of the votes are for Ronny" George finished as Ron beamed with delight, not even bothering to sneer at George for calling him Ronny.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Where have you two been?" Hermione asked as Ron and Harry walked in the common room with very flushed faces.  
  
"Quidditch tryouts" Ron said beaming with delight.  
  
"Oh really... did you make the team?" She asked as she quickly looked up at Ron, then back down at her book. Ron nodded with enthusiasm.  
  
"So what have you been doing? I didn't see you at breakfast" Harry said as Hermione went pale. She had completely forgotten about the letter until Harry mentioned it. She gulped and sat there horrified, not knowing what to do. Harry swiped his hand in front of her face. "Hello...Hermione?" Hermione snapped awake.  
  
"What... oh... I decided to sleep in this morning" she stuttered.  
  
"But I spoke to you this morning before breakfast" Ron said looking rather confused. Hermione had forgotten all about that too.  
  
"Well... I... I went back to bed," Hermione said quickly as Ron raised an eyebrow. Harry shrugged and walked up the steps to the boys' dormitory. Ron kept his eyebrow raised and sat down next to Hermione.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ron asked, changing his confused face into a concerned face.  
  
Hermione turned towards him with a sad look. "Let's say... You think someone likes you as more than a friend... but you don't like him in that way" Hermione said as her eyes began to tear up. Ron was absolutely horrified. He hoped so badly that she wasn't talking about him. Ron bit his lip as she continued.  
  
"It's just that I don't think that I could ever pretend to fancy someone to not hurt his feelings, again" she said as she suddenly stopped. She looked over at Ron as if she had said way too much.  
  
"What do you mean again?" He asked suspiciously and confused.  
  
"Did... Did I say that... well, I must have... well... I didn't mean that."  
  
"Hermione, you are absolutely horrible at lying." She sighed and laid her face on her hand so that her mouth was covered. She mumbled something softly so that Ron couldn't hear. "What was that?"  
  
She groaned and yelled loudly. "Fine! I never fancied Viktor... I just pretended to because he said he fancied me. So what could I have done? I couldn't stand him anymore! All he spoke about was Quidditch and himself. That's why I'm glad I broke up with him this summer!" Hermione began to pant from saying that way too fast. "So that's why I can't date Harry, because I don't want to do that..."  
  
"Wait! What about Harry?" Ron said, using the same yelling tone that Hermione had used.  
  
"I didn't actually sleep in this morning. After you left, I saw a piece of paper on my chair and read it." Ron's stomach churned. "It was a love letter to me, I was about to finish reading it when Harry walked in and I hid behind the couch. He took it and read it and put it in his pocket" Hermione said quickly, lowering her voice down to a whisper.  
  
"She thinks Harry wrote the letter. Wait... did she say she never fancied Krum?" He thought. "You never fancied Krum?" Ron asked curiously.  
  
Hermione sighed and put her hand on her forehead as a tear rolled down her cheek. "No, of course not." Ron felt the sudden urge to smile but stopped himself when he saw a tear roll down her cheek. She looked down at the ground and he took his hand and pulled her chin back up so she was looking directly at him. Another tear rolled down her cheek and Ron brushed it away with his thumb and smiled at her. She smiled back and slowly stood up, as he did the same. She threw her arms around his neck and gently kissed him on the cheek. Ron's face reddened. As she pulled away from him.  
  
"You're such a great listener Ron. I'm so glad you're my friend."  
  
Ron sighed and took a step back. He decided to do one thing. He began to whisper slowly. "Not a day goes by that I do not think of you. But I fear that you will never feel the same. I cannot think of many words to say that wont make me regret it. The way you look at me with your caring eyes makes me love you even more. Ever since I saw you for the first time I knew how I felt" Ron gulped and pushed himself to continue. "I knew that I truly, truly loved you."  
  
Hermione stood there for a moment with a confused expression on her face. She shook her head as if she was in a certain trance and looked back up at him with an odd expression. "Did... did Harry let you read it?" ((I know, don't you just want to smack Hermione for being so clueless))  
  
Ron looked dumbfounded. "Hermione! Harry didn't write the letter, I d.... I don't know who wrote it... I read it this morning" Ron wanted to smack himself for not telling her the truth.  
  
"It ... It wasn't from Harry? Then why did he pick it up?"  
  
"He... he must have been told to by someone else to get it for them" Ron said, putting his hands in his pockets and looking down to the ground.  
  
"What if it was from Damon?" Hermione's sad face abruptly lit up. "Oh... I have to go tell him" she squealed with laughter as she quickly walked out of the common room looking for Damon. Ron smacked his forehead and swore loudly.  
  
((A/N: You didn't actually think that the letter was from Harry, did you? In the next chapter I'll begin doing more stuff that doesn't have to do with HG/RW fluff and stuff. The next chapter should actually be really confusing, so I warn you now. Thank you all my reviewers: Hermione-Weasley Yami-Inyuasha: Why did you need to look for it? I send you the chapters each week, lol Tsunami Wave : Don't worry, there will be some HP/GW stuff. and Sunshine Stargirl  
Preview for next chapter-  
  
"Thanks Ron" Hermione smiled as he stumbled along.  
  
"Anything for you Mione" Hermione looked at him oddly. He had a rather goofy grin on his face... he had turned delusional. 


	8. Jealousy and Class

((A/N * Comes up with J.K. Rowling with a gun to my head * Uh.would like to make it clear that I do not own Harry Potter * J.K. Rowling jabs me in the back with the gun * or any of the characters that you recognize from the books))  
  
Ron turned the corner to go to Defense against the Dark Arts when he heard a faint laugh. Damon was whispering something into Hermione's ear and put his arm around her. Ron scowled as he passed them. Damon glared at Ron and turned back toward Hermione and picked up her hand and kissed it. "I shall see you after class" Damon said as Hermione blushed and nodded. Damon smiled dreamily at Hermione and walked away. Hermione walked quickly and caught up with Ron and sighed in a daze.  
  
"Isn't Damon the greatest?" she said, completely mesmerized. "He told me that he spent the whole week writing that letter" she looked light headed as if she was a school girl. Ron sneered, realizing that he should have known that Damon would lie about the letter.  
  
"Hey Ron, Hermione" Hannah said as she bounced towards them with her hair flailing behind here. "Looks like we have Defense against the Dark Arts together" she smiled.  
  
"Hey Hannah" Ron said, returning the smile. Hermione wasn't paying attention. She was completely in her own world. Ron glanced over at Hermione and sighed. He quickly turned back towards Hannah. "Hannah, can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure, anything" she nodded.  
  
"I was wondering if you would like to go to the ball with me" he said rather confident. That woke Hermione up. She looked at Ron with her eyes enlarged and her mouth slightly hanging open.  
  
Hannah also looked slightly confused and looked over at Hermione, then back at Ron. "Uh sure, I'd love to" Hannah said slowly, still in the state of shock. Hermione shook her head rapidly as if she was trying to wake herself up. Ron smiled and Hannah smiled back. Hannah, being the rather outgoing grabbed Ron's hand and pulled him slowly to class, leaving Hermione standing there, rather speechless.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Good evening class. Ze Professor Figgs 'as taken ill, so I 'vill be teaching ze class" Fleur Delecour said as she tapped her wand against the desk to make everyone quiet. Or should I say to make all the girls quiet, all the guys were staring aimlessly at Fleur. "Now, today you vill be learning 'ow to protect yourself against a Varax. Can anyone tell me vhat a Varax is?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Everyone in the room looked over at Hermione, waiting for her hand to shoot up in the air. But Hermione just sat there, with her head resting on her arms on the table, not saying a single word. A hand shot up in the back of the room.  
  
"A Varax is a small, silver creature with a large white tail and is usually found in the cold climates of Finland. The Varax is very rare in cold climates and have a very strong bite that can knock someone out of hours." The girl said very quickly as if it was a single sentence. Everyone turned their head except Hermione to see who it was.  
  
"Very good." Fleur looked at a piece of paper with names of the students. "Miss Abbott"  
  
Hermione's head shot up and she turned around towards the back of the room where Hannah was sitting. She looked rather pleased with herself and Ron (Who was sitting next to her) looked at her rather bewildered and enchanted. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to the front of the room.  
  
"Now, I vould like you all to pair up" Fleur stopped when a rather scrawny little boy walked in, shaking nervously. He walked up to Fleur and handed her a crumpled piece of paper. She opened it up and read it quickly. Her eyes wandered over in Harry's direction. " 'Arry, Professor Dumbledore vould like a vord with you" she said as she folded the note back up and laid it on her desk. The little boy stared at Fleur in a large daze. "Uh.zank you. You may go back to your class now" she said as the boy's face went beet red as he scurried out of the room as fast as his little legs could carry him. Harry stood up from his chair next to Hermione and walked towards Fleur.  
  
Fleur lowered her voice to a whisper. "Zey say it is urgent" Harry nodded and walked out of the classroom. "As I vas saying, pair up into partners so ve can begin." A loud noise erupted the room as students began to scurry around to find their friends. Hermione looked around for Ron since Harry had left and spotted him sitting next to Hannah in the back of the room and scurried towards him.  
  
"Partners?" She asked hopefully. Ron turned around towards her.  
  
"Oh. sorry Hermione, I already have a partner" He said, pointing to Hannah.  
  
Hermione's heart sank. "Oh. okay, I'll just find someone else" Hermione bit her lip as Ron turned back to Hannah who just whispered something in his ear. Hermione sighed and looked around the room for anyone without a partner. Neville Longbottom sat in the corner of the room, twitching rather abruptly. Hermione walked up to him, rather paranoid with Ron.  
  
"Hey Neville, do you want to be my partner?" He stopped twitching and nervously looked up at her and nodded.  
  
"Now zat you are all paired up. ve shall begin" Fleur said. "Now, zey Varax have a very strong bite like Miss Abbott said, so zat is vhy I vill teach you a simple spell zat vill freeze it so it cannot move" Neville beamed with delight, knowing it would be a lot easier with Hermione as a partner. "Now. zey incantation is petra iccio. Each of your groups vill have one Varax and you vill take turns until it stops moving. don't vorry, it is not dead, just frozen."  
  
Hermione scowled when Ron and Hannah walked over to the spot next to them. Fleur dragged out a large crate that showed no signs of movement.  
  
"Now, put on zey gloves in front of you and one person from each group come up and grab one. Be gentle, ve don't vant ze Varax's to vake up."  
  
Hermione looked at Neville's horrified face and rolled her eyes. She grabbed for the gloves and walked over to the box. She looked down into it and saw all these furry balls of puff.  
  
"They look really cute now, don't they" A boy's voice said from above her. She turned around and saw Ron peering into the box. "But when their awake, their not that pretty." He chuckled.  
  
Hermione looked up at him with a puzzled expression. She felt that there was something different about him, something she hadn't noticed before. She gazed at him rather dazed expression. He looked a lot different then the little red-haired eleven year old boy with his torn, raggy, too small clothes. This boy was different. He was tall and more muscular looking with the same piercing red hair as before. His face was just as kind and his sharp blue eyes stood out more than ever, full of devious plans to get in trouble. Hermione was speechless. She bent down and picked one of the soft animals gently and walked back towards Neville.  
  
"What was that all about?" she asked herself.  
  
((A/N: I know.kind of bad chapter, but next one will be cooler! I promise! Thank you to all my reviewers. A few things, please don't laugh at my impersonation of Fleur, I'm not good at that. It meant nothing when I said Prof. Figgs was sick, that's not a plan or anything. And. Read and Review!!!)) 


	9. Falling Flashbacks

((A/N: No matter how much I wish, I still do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters you see in magazines that have the little letters with a circle around it behind it. *sigh*. By the way, the Varax is just a creature I made up, and I know the teachers would never let this next thing happen, no matter what, but oh well.))  
  
Hermione carried the Varax slowly over to Neville and set it down on the ground. Hermione hadn't noticed hat the Varax's eyes had fluttered open. She had turned around towards Neville to speak with him when the Varax growled and hissed with resentment. It began to dart its eyes at her; it's teeth showing.  
  
Hermione didn't realize the animal was about to attack until she heard someone scream "Hermione! Watch out!" The voice yelled. Hermione spun around to see the Varax charging at her.  
  
She frantically dug through her pockets, looking for her wand, but realized that she had left it on the table. She covered her face with terror and waited. She was waiting to cry out with pain when the Varax would bare its teeth into her leg.... And she waited, and waited, but nothing happened.  
  
She heard a loud moan, but it wasn't coming from her. She slowly took her hands away from her face and saw a horrible sight. Ron was sprawled out on the floor with a large gash on his leg from where the Varax had bit him. He groaned with pain as the Varax began to look around for another victim to attack.  
  
"Petra iccio" Fleur said, pointing her wand at the Varax. It froze in mid- pounce and fell to the ground, frozen, like a corpse. Hermione and Fleur darted over to Ron who was almost unconscious and was still groaning.  
  
"Ron, what did you do that for?" Hermione asked as she bent down next to him. He just gave her a goofy smile and chuckled. By now the whole class had gathered around Ron with worried looks. Hannah rushed forward and pushed Fleur out of the way to get to Ron.  
  
"Ron, RON! Are you all right!" She screamed loudly in his ear.  
  
"Blimey Hannah, I'm not dead" he said as his eyes flickered open.  
  
"Will someone please escort Mr. Weasley to ze Hospital Wing before zey venom of zey Varax kicks in" Fleur said, trying to recover from Hannah pushing her back?  
  
"Venom! Oh now I can relax" Ron muttered softly with a sarcastic tone. Hannah's hand shot up in the air and Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron began to cough and try to stand up.  
  
"I'd actually like it better if Hermione helped me... I don't want you to miss the rest of class Hannah" Ron said, slowly getting to his feet, with blood leaking out his robes. Hermione nodded and grabbed Ron's arm and began helping him out of the classroom like an extra leg. Hermione had to practically pull Ron through the corridors because he was completely out of it.  
  
"Thanks Ron" Hermione smiled as he stumbled.  
  
"Anything for you Mione" he slurred. Hermione looked at him oddly... he had become delusional.  
  
"So you really like Hannah?"  
  
"Nah" Ron responded, in a crazy, awkward tone. Hermione stopped walking and looked at him puzzled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Me don't like her like that; me just used her to get back..." he stopped and his eyes widened as he began to sway back and forth swiftly. Just then, Harry turned the corner from Dumbledore's office looking rather confused yet ecstatic. He saw Hermione holding on to Ron's wrist as he began to sulk down to the ground, clutching his stomach with his free hand.  
  
"Harry! Help!" Hermione whimpered to him when she saw him. Harry ran over to them as Ron's eyes rolled back and he went completely limp.  
~*~*~Ron's P.O.V. *~*~*~  
  
I looked around, feeling heaviness in my eyes. I looked up and saw Hermione with a bright light surrounding her like an angel. She looked down at me with horror and terror embedded in her eyes. Then I began to feel a sudden rush, as if I was falling... falling... falling. Then everything went black.  
  
I began to see pictures.... Memories of my life... were flashing before my eyes. Was this what it was like to die? Were these going to be my last thoughts? Remembrances popped into my mind.  
  
"It's no wonder no one can stand her" I said to Harry as we pushed our way into the crowded corridor. "She's a nightmare, honestly" A girl with long bushy brown hair knocked into me as she scurried by with tears flooding her eyes  
  
"I think she heard you" Harry muttered. I scowled at myself as I watched this scene that was all too familiar to me.  
  
((A/N: I just wanted to tell you people that I've been writing all these chapters and stuff before I post them in a notebook, and right after that sentence my first notebook ended ^_^))  
  
The scene flashed away and a new one appeared.  
  
"Look, its Hermione" Neville yelled as a beaming Hermione entered the Great Hall. I watched myself lean back excitedly in my seat to catch a glimpse of her to greet her. Both Harry and I leapt out of our seats as she raced towards us. I hated this memory too. Hermione lunged towards Harry and hugged him tightly. She then let go of him and moved towards me. I wanted to hug her so badly, but I didn't have the guts. She just walked over to me and after a long pause, she shook my hand. For god sakes, she just shook my hand. Harry got a hug, but poor me got a handshake.  
  
"Uh...well...welcome back Hermione." I said to her.  
  
The scene flashed again. ((I couldn't really think of many things that happened with them during the 3rd book, so this one is made up)) I lay there in the Hospital Wing with my leg wrapped in bandages.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked walking up to me.  
  
"Eh, I've been better" I smiled. "How about you, what happened?"  
  
"Well, we saved Buckbeak and Sirius Black and they escaped" she beamed.  
  
"I mean what happened with you... not them" I said, sitting up from the hospital bed. "Hermione, you've been acting oddly all year."  
  
"I'll tell you later... I'm just so glad that you're all right" she said, almost breaking into tears. She bent towards me and threw her arms around my neck. It was only the second hug that Hermione had given me. I felt tears on my shoulder as I patted her hair.  
  
The scene changed just for a second when I saw myself staring at Hermione as she danced with Krum as my date tapped her foot angrily on the floor impatiently, waiting for me to ask her to dance.  
  
The scene changed quickly, but it appeared to be in the same time.  
  
"That's odd" I thought as I watched it. "I never saw this."  
  
There was something different about it; it was definitely the same place. But instead of long silver streamers, there were large jack-o-lanterns floating in the air. "This never happened... this is the Halloween Ball" I gasped, rather confused.  
  
I saw Hermione dancing with a guy in a long black cloak. The guy had a phantom mask on for some odd reason and was whispering something to her. The odd thing... was that I saw Damon standing in the corner of the room. Hermione had her arms around the phantom's neck as she kissed him hard on the lips.  
  
Anger brewed inside my mind. "First Damon, now this guy!" I wonder what Professor Trewlany would say about this prediction. There was another flash of light. I was getting really sick of this. But nothing happened.... I began falling... falling... into an endless black hole... dying inside.  
(( *shivers* Well...anyway, just think worse of what you're probably thinking, cause... well *zips mouth*. For copyright reasons and all, the scenes from the flashbacks are in:  
  
Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone  
  
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the Movie  
  
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire  
  
and names and stuff from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  
  
And I know that the scene I made up from the POA, would probably never happen because of the timing and all, but oh well. Thank you to all my reviewers!  
  
Hermione-Weasley: I know what you mean. He's my character and I want to kill him *scowls* Thank you for reviewing!  
  
Ander- Thank you Ander! And, yeah, I don't have to check the reviews by checking my story incessantly, because it goes straight to my email, so yeah, I did get your reviews! And of course I'm not going to show you the end of my story until I post it ^_^  
  
Katie- Meep! I told you that you didn't need to review this, but nnnoooooooooo. lol. Thank ya anyways!  
  
DazzilinAngel555: Thank you!!! All I can say, is that there is a lot more to come ^_^  
  
AnotherHPfan!: Thank you so much! I write all my chapters out and all, but it takes me awhile to load them and all, because I have to send them to my friend so they can post the story up.  
  
Nicola: ^_^ Thanks!  
  
Mione Weasley: Don't you just hate Damon... if you don't really right now, then just wait *covers mouth* I shouldn't have said that ^_^ 


	10. The Murder of a True Love

((I wish I may, I wish I might, let Harry Potter and all the characters that you recognize from this story be mine for more then tonight. *sigh* It didn't work. Oh well. This chapter may be a little far-fetched but I wrote it on a bus ride to play practice, so give me a break. Chapter 10! I decided to make a limit for myself and I decided that I am not going to quit until this story reaches a minimum of 21 chapters. That means about 11 chapters left, for all of you who do not know *hides calculator behind back and smiles*. Well, Read and Review, that's my motto ^_^. P.S. This Chapter does have a swear word in it, so, yeah, just warning ya))  
*~*~*~Harry's P.O.V~*~*~*  
  
"Harry, what's going on? Why isn't he responding to us?" Hermione whimpered with a panicked expression as she shook Ron to wake him up. I stood there in a state of shock.... Then I heard it. A large, piercing voice that I recognized instantly. My scar began to burn as I heard the voice again.  
  
"We must kill that boy; he's the one that stands in out way now to our prize... Harry Potter. We must kill that boy that is the heir of the one that my great great great ((I have no idea how many greats, but just keeping going with them if you'd like)) grandfather hated. The one that would never believed him. We must kill him" the voice cackled a dark laughter.  
  
"No!" I screamed.  
  
"What Harry?" Hermione asked, now placing her hand under Ron's head to support it.  
  
"Hermione, go get Madam Pomfrey and bring her here" I yelled.  
  
"No, I'm not going to leave Ron. It is my fault in the first place" Hermione yelled back with tears flooding her eyes. Hermione was making it very hard for me to concentrate, but I knew that there was no point in arguing with her.  
  
"Hermione, get your wand out, I'll be right back" I said. Hermione did what she was told without questions as I ran in the direction of the Hospital Wing.  
  
"Only two people can save the boy now, Nagini" the voice chuckled again. "But they'll never know, and then, the boy will be out of our way." I clutched my scar from the pain it was causing me.  
  
"No, of course not Nagini, that stupid mud-blood isn't smart enough to see what is in front of her own very eyes. And the other person would rather just watch him die" I wanted the voice to stop, but I knew the voice was in parceltongue, so even if I did plug my ears, I could still hear him. What did the voice mean that there were only two people that could save him? I knew when he said mud-blood; he must have been referring to Hermione. But what about the other person. I didn't want Ron to die, let alone stand there and watch him suffer. I had to be getting closer to the Hospital Wing.  
  
Then I heard it. The one thing I didn't want to hear. A large piercing scream echoed through the halls. I knew right away that it was Hermione. I wanted to turn back so badly to see what was wrong, but what was the point? I raced on to the Hospital Wing when I heard the voice again.  
  
It yelled with anger. "Damn mud-blood! Maybe I was wrong, but it doesn't matter now" the voice cackled. I clenched and began to grind my teeth together, trying to hold myself from turning back. Finally, I reached a large oak door with a wooden arch above it that read: Hospital Wing.  
  
' I rushed through the door. "Madam Pomfrey! Come help, quick!" Madam Pomfrey scurried towards me with a distraught look.  
  
"What is it Potter? Why aren't you in class?'  
  
"Ron and Hermione, come on!" I screamed.  
  
That's all Madam Pomfrey needed to hear and she raced out of the Hospital Wing as I ran, trying to keep up with her. It wasn't that I wasn't it shape, heck, I was the probably the fastest person in school. Except Madam Pomfrey was faster.  
  
"Where are they?" Madam Pomfrey asked, quickening her pace.  
  
"Over by the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom" I said, breathing hard, still trying to keep up with her.  
  
*End of Harry's P.O.V*  
  
They finally reached the spot where Ron and Hermione were. Ron lay lifeless with a pale complexion and a large gash in his leg that didn't seem to be getting better, let alone stop bleeding. Hermione lay practically across him with a horrified look on her face. She was also unconscious and had a large cut on her forehead that was bleeding onto Ron's robes.  
  
Madam Pomfrey bent down to them and examined them carefully before she took out her wanted and two stretchers appeared and Madam Pomfrey placed them both on the stretchers and floated them back to the Hospital Wing.  
  
~*~*~ Hermione's P.O.V~*~*~  
  
My eyes fluttered open as I yawned loudly and looked around curiously at my surroundings and realized that I was in the Hospital Wing. I gazed around the brightly lit room and saw another person in the bed next to me and scurried towards them when I realized it was Ron.  
  
"Ron, Ron" I whispered to him, shaking him lightly to wake him up. He didn't move.  
  
"I'm... I'm sorry dear" Madam Pomfrey said as she walked towards me with a sulken face. "I'm afraid he's gone."  
  
I froze. "Wha... what? No he's not... I, I mean he..., he can't be." I stared at Ron with a terrified face.  
  
"I'm sorry dear, I'll leave you alone so you an say goodbye" Madam Pomfrey looked as though she was about to cry as she walked out of sight.  
  
I turned back towards Ron and placed my hand on his cheek. He was so cold. His sharp red hair stood out more then ever with his frozen pale skin and motionless body. I leaned over him and checked for a pulse. Nothing. I couldn't bare it. It couldn't be true. It must have been a nightmare, he couldn't be dead. Tears flooded my eyes as I laid my head on his chest. My tears wet his robes, for I didn't bother to wipe them away. I wanted to feel his warmth, hear his gentle laughter, listen to his corny jokes again. I would give anything. I looked down at him again, tears falling off my face, now landing on his cold cheeks. I leand over and kissed him on his cold frozen lips.  
  
A/N: Eureka! I killed Ron! Muahaha *cough* well, hope you liked this chapter. Is that the end to the story? No of course not, what kind of person would I be if that were the end. Killing Ron is something I've always wanted to do in stories *sigh* even if he is my favorite characters. *shrugs* Oh well  
  
Reviewers:  
  
AnotherHPfan: Oh, no, you didn't sound pushy at all. Thankyou for reviewing!  
  
sweetcheeks101: There's more.don't worry ^_^  
  
hPotter2003: Aww. thank you SO much!  
  
Sunshine Stargirl: Thanks  
  
Hermione Weasley: Are you so sure about Ron being alright?!?! ^_^ Keep reading and reviewing!!! 


	11. A Kiss of a New Day The Minister of Magi...

((A/N: I still don't own Harry Potter. Hope you like this chapter! Read and review!)) ~*~ Still Hermione's P.O.V.~*~ Another tear dripped down my cheek and fell on to his face as I kissed him again, but. I backed away. I felt sudden warmth in his lips. I felt his cheeks and saw that they were turning a light shade of pink. I gasped. I checked for a pulse. I could hear his heart beating. Then I saw the most brilliant sight of my life. Ron's eyes began to flutter open. He moaned and looked up at me. "Mione?" he said in a faint whisper with a hoarse voice. "Ron, is that really you!" I yelled to him as I wiped tears out of my eyes. "Where am I?" He asked with a puzzled expression. "Oh Ron!" I gasped as I threw my arms around him and kissed him hard on the cheek. I stopped. I had just kissed Ron again. I backed up from him and saw that his face was quite red now. I wasn't sure if he was blushing or that the color was just coming back to his face. Before Ron could say anything, Harry walked in with tears streaming down his face. I ran up to him with a large smile on my face and threw my arms around his neck. He hugged me tightly and laid his head on top of mine, not willing to ask why I was smiling. "Madam Pomfrey just told me. If Ron were here right now, he would have wanted me to tell you that he." "But Harry" I protested, breaking away from Harry. Harry stopped me. "Hermione listen, Ron truly l." "Oi Harry!" Ron yelled from the Hospital Bed that was surrounded by curtains. Ron did his best to pull the curtains away so he could get a glimpse of Harry. "Even though this is very touching and all, I'm not dead yet" Ron said partially laughing. I smiled brighter and walked back towards Ron. "But.how?" Harry asked astonished. "I dunno, I woke up and.uh. found Mione here." Ron shrugged. Eyes were now glued on me. Harry glanced at me with a peculiar look. "Uh.Hermione...let's go get Madam Pomfrey" Harry mumbled as he tugged on my sleeve and pulled me out to the hallway. He obviously had no intentions of getting Madam Pomfrey. "Hermione, what exactly happened...?" He asked, putting his hands on my shoulders. "I...I don't" I stuttered, trying to make words. "Hermione listen, when I went to get Madam Pomfrey before, I heard Voldemort talking" I didn't even bother to flinch at the name, I just looked away from him but he pulled me back. "He said that only two people could save Ron, and obviously one of them was you... so what happened?" I remembered what happened after Harry had left. I looked down at Ron who had a pale complexion and was barely breathing. He had saved my life. He had risked his life for mine....why? I bent down to kiss him...then I blacked out. I guess I was in a deep trance because Harry began shaking me.  
  
"Harry...I..." I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't face him. So I just ran up to the common room.  
  
~*~ End of Hermione's P.O.V.~*~  
  
Harry sighed in deeply as he walked back into the Hospital Wing. He found Madam Pomfrey sitting at her desk with tears in her eyes. He knocked on the door and she opened it. "You have to come, come see" Harry said smiling. Madam Pomfrey followed Harry back towards Ron. She gasped loudly when she saw him sitting up in the bed. "Bless my soul!" She yelled as she gasped again quite dumstruck. "I have to go find Professor Dumbledore." She said, rushing out of the room. Harry found a chair and moved it over so he was sitting next to Ron. "Where did Hermione go?" Ron asked curiously. "Uh...I think she had some important schoolwork to take care of" he lied. "Oh" Ron muttered. "I know this might not be the best time to ask. But what did Dumbledore want before?" He asked curiously. "Oh, that."  
  
~*~ Harry's Flashback~*~  
  
Harry walked into Dumbledore's office expecting to see Dumbledore waiting for him. But it looked like no one was there. "Hello Harry" Said a voice from behind a chair. The chair turned around and relvealed that the person sitting there was... "Mr Weasley? What are you doing here?" Harry asked curiously. "Is that a way to speak to the Minister of Magic, Harry?" Said a voice from behind him. Harry spun around to come face-to-face with... "Sirius? What are you doing here?" "If I may say something" Mr. Weasley coughed and Harry and Sirius both turned to him. "Since Sirius is right... I am the minister of magic" Harry beamed. "There are certain measures that are needed to be taken. "After full investigation. I declare the capture of Sirius Black cancelled. You are a free man!" "Does that mean....!" Harry yelled. "Yes Harry, after school, you may live with your Godfather" Harry felt the sudden urge to jump up and down. He wasn't going to have to live with the horrid Dursleys anymore. "But" Mr. Weasley put up a finger. "You may not go during this year's Christmas or Easter break, alright?" Harry nodded and looked back at Sirius who had a big grin spread across his face.  
  
((Alright, I do have a heart and I didn't keep Ron dead. *sigh* Please read and review!! Thank you all of my reviewers!!!!)) 


	12. Somethings up with Draco The Halloween B...

((Sorry this took me awhile to post. I've been quite busy lately and haven't had time to type it out. I do have to redo the last chapter, because I didn't realize I made so many mistakes from what I originally wrote. Yes, this is the ball part one, it will continue in the next chapter. And for some of you who might be wondering, no, my story is not going to end after the ball. Keep reviewing!))   
  
"The ball is tomorrow and I haven't the bloody clue what to do?" Ron sputtered to Harry as they walked along the hallway to the common room. Ron had been out of the Hospital Wing for a week, with nothing to show for it besides a small scar on his right leg. Everything had gotten back to normal between Ron and Hermione again and they had begun to quarrel again.   
  
"What's to think about? You're going with Hannah. Drink Pumpkin juice, have a good time." Harry said back in a rather high pitched tone. They entered the common room that was filled with chatter. They went to find a seat at the couches and saw Ginny curled up, crying.   
  
"What's wrong, Ginny?" Ron said as he and Harry sat down on either side of her.   
  
"The ball is tomorrow and I still don't have a date," she sniffled.   
  
"What about Neville?" Harry asked sympathetically.   
  
"He's going with Padma Patil," she whimpered. "Anyway, I had to soak my feet for a week last time. He kept stepping on my feet." Harry and Ron both sniggered with Padma going with Neville, but Harry stopped when he saw Ginny frown with tears in her eyes.   
  
"Ginny, there's got to be someone. I mean, if I didn't have a date... I would want to go with you" Harry paused. He couldn't believe he had actually said that. It was a lie... wasn't it? Ron stopped laughing too and looked at Harry as if he had a disease.   
  
Ginny just smiled. "Thanks Harry." Harry leaned towards her and hugged her.  
  
"Now I'm hugging her! What is with me!" He thought to himself. Ron just stood there speechless with a risen eyebrow. He pulled Harry off Ginny.  
  
"Geroff me sister" he said with a scrunched up nose. Ginny looked at Harry with her face flaming red.  
  
"Oh, don't be so immature Ron" Ginny scowled.   
  
"Yeah," Harry nodded and smiled. "Well, anyway Ginny, it's probably a lot more fun to not go with someone then to go with someone" Harry shrugged.   
  
-*-*-*-*-   
  
The next day arrived after hours of Ron tossing and turning in his sleep from being scared out of his wit. Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny strolled into the Great Hall and saw large jack-o-lanterns floating in mid-air that had bright, glowing yellow eyes and that would yell "BOO" everyone time a small first year passed it.   
  
"Oh Harry, there you are" Cho Chang said giggling as she skipped up to him. "I'm not sure what dress I should wear tonight. I really like the red one I have, but I mean it's like so not Halloween. So maybe I should wear the dark green one, but then again, I wore something like that dress for my cousins wedding, so I mean it's like, not a good thing to wear something like it, like three months after you just wore it. Do you know what I mean?" Harry didn't understand, let alone care about anything she had just said. He had zoned out. Cho waved her hand in front of his face.   
  
"Harry?" He shook awake. "Uh, yeah, that's awesome Cho," he said in a rather dull voice. She tolled her eyes and walked away.   
  
Ron stepped up next to Harry and chuckled. "What a ditz."   
  
Harry jabbed him in the shoulder. "Shut up!"   
  
Ron shrugged. "I'm just saying, I hope you can survive the night."   
  
"Sorry to say, but Ron's right, Harry." Hermione said gripping onto a stack of books. "Just a word of advice, you shouldn't do much talking tonight." Ron and Ginny nodded with agreement. Harry just scowled and turned around when he suddenly heard two people collide and books scatter in the air.   
  
"Watch it!" One of the people yelled. Harry turned back around and saw Hermione and Malfoy sprawled out on the floor, rubbing their foreheads. Malfoy opened his eyes and saw them all glaring at him.   
  
"Oh... it's you four" he said... in an awfully regular voice as he stood up and brushed himself off. He noticed Hermione was still on the floor and held out a hand. "Here, I'll help you up mud-blo... Hermione" he mumbled as he forced a smile. Ron and Harry looked at each other in horrific shock with their mouths hanging open, and then looked back at Hermione and Malfoy. Hermione paused for a moment before cautiously grabbing a hold of his hand; rather afraid he was going to push her back down again. But he didn't, he just pulled her up and dropped back to the ground and picked up Hermione's books and handed them to her.   
  
"Well, uh, goodbye," He said, waving before he scurried off. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione just stood there in shock.   
  
"What was that all about?" Hermione murmured softly.   
  
"Do you think Malfoy lost a bet?" Ron asked dumbfounded. "And since when has he ever used Hermione's first name? He's either called her Granger, or mud-blood, or bucktooth, or..." he was about to continue back Ginny put her hand up to stop him.  
  
"Ron, we get it" she scowled. Ron blushed slightly.  
  
"Sorry 'Mione."  
  
-*-*-*-*-   
  
After a long lunch, Hermione insisted the two of them begin to get ready.   
  
"Why do we need two hours?" Ron scowled. "All we do is throw on our dress robes and that's it."   
  
"Ron, you really should think about combing your hair" Hermione shot back, putting her hands on her hips. "Now if you excuse me, I have to get ready," she said in a haughty manner as she stomped away up to the girls' dormitory. Ron began to mock her when she left.   
  
"You really should think about combing your hair" he said in a high pitched voice. "The nerve of her for saying that" without realizing it, Ron began to flatten his hair down with his hand.   
  
Harry chuckled and Ron's face turned red as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "C'mon, let's follow Hermione's advice. Just this once." Harry pulled on his sleeve and dragged him up to the boys' dormitory.   
  
Ron opened his trunk that was in front of his bed and pulled out a brand new dress robe. "Blood 'ell! When did I get this!" He exclaimed as he examined it. The dress robe was a dark royal blue color made with some sort of soft material. He shrugged and threw it over his head and examined himself in a full length mirror that was hanging on a nearby wall. Ron sighed, he knew he must have looked a lot better then the past year, just not much.   
  
"Maybe Hermione's right," he thought out loud as he began to flatten his hair down vigorously with his hand. He grabbed a comb out of the trunk and pulled it threw his hair. He repeated that for the next five minutes before his hair was neatly combed.   
  
Harry walked out of the bathroom, straightening and smoothing out his dress robes. "So you decided to use Hermione's advice?" Harry snickered.   
  
"What about you? Why haven't you combed your hair?" he sneered. Harry examined himself in the mirror that Ron had and shrugged.   
  
"Odd thing really. It doesn't work, I've tried. There was this one time that the Dursleys made me dress up for Dudley's graduation from elementary school, and they put loads of gel and gunk in my hair, but none of it worked. It stayed like this," he laughed.   
  
"Think Hermione's ready yet?" Ron asked, beginning to pace back and forth.   
  
"Not a chance," Harry replied, loosening his tie that was cutting off his breathing. And so they waited for another twenty minutes talking about Quidditch.   
  
"What the heck are you two doing up here so early?" Dean Thomas said as he, Seamus Finnigan and Neville Longbottom walked in.   
  
"Getting our dress robes on, duh?" Ron replied.   
  
"Why would you wear dress robes as a costume? What are you two supposed to be? Perfect students?" Dean as he hit Neville and Seamus on the shoulders playfully as the three of them laughed.   
  
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
"The Halloween Ball tonight stupid. You know, we're all supposed to have costumes." Seamus said, still howling with laughter. Ron and Harry looked at each other frantically then back to the rest of them.   
  
"Costume Party!" Ron and Harry yelled simultaneously.   
  
"You mean you two didn't know?" Neville said, chuckling harder then ever. Ron and Harry looked back at each other again.   
  
"What are we going to do!" they both yelled at the same time again. Dean, Seamus, and Neville just laughed and began searching through their trunks for their costumes. Harry and Ron began to panic and search around for costumes that they could pull together.   
  
"Maybe I could be invisible," Harry suggested as he and Ron laughed.   
  
"You'd still step on Cho's feet when you dace" Ron snapped. "Harry, why don't you just go as a Quidditch player?" Ron shrugged. Harry nodded and dug through his trunk until he found his Quidditch robes and threw them on.  
  
"Ah, I have a good idea." He grabbed his Firebolt out of the trunk and strapped ropes to it and slung it on his shoulders like a back-pack. He examined himself in the mirror again. "Not bad," Harry said, sitting down on his bed. After twenty minutes, Ron still hadn't found a costume.   
  
"You could always put a black cape on and put loads of grease in your hair and go as Snape" Harry said as he looked at his watch impatiently.   
  
Ron noticed Harry begin to tap his foot on the ground waiting. "Harry, just go on... I'll meet you down there. And, if you see Hannah, tell her I'll be right down." Ron said, still digging through his trunk for anything. Harry shrugged and walked out of the dormitory. Ron bit his lip.   
  
"What am I supposed to do?" He said, thinking out loud again. Ron had an idea. Fred and George had a bunch of masks and stuff lying around somewhere. He ran over to their suitcases and grabbed a random one and opened it. Inside he found six masks and some black cloaks. He picked one of the masks up and examined it. It was a phantom mask that covered the top part of a persons face. It had a small dent on the right side of the cheek. He shrugged and threw it back with the other masks He picked another one up. It was a hideous looking skeleton mask.   
  
"Perfect" He exclaimed as he threw one of the cloaks and the mask on. The mask alone didn't cover his hair, but the cloak had a hood that covered the top of his head completely.   
  
"It's better then nothing," he said. He scurried out of the room to the ballroom. He saw Hannah waiting for him out in the corridor. She was wearing a black, velvet cat costume with magical whiskers that looked like they were actually coming out of her skin. She took one glimpse at Ron ((Who had his mask off at the time)) and ran towards him.  
  
"Wicked costume, Ron" she squealed as she linked arms with him and dragged him inside the ballroom.   
  
"About time Ron. Awesome costume by the way, where'd you find it?" Harry asked as he and Cho walked up to them. Cho was wearing a long white dress with white glittering wings. She had some sort of glitter on her face that made it sparkle incessantly.   
  
"Hey Harry, Cho. I found all these sort of masks in a suitcase Fred and George had that they used to scare me and Ginny when we were little. " He said, looking around curiously. "Speaking of Ginny, where is she and Hermione?"   
  
"Hermione's in front, getting ready. And Ginny, Ginny's gulping down punch as if there was a drought or something." Harry laughed. Before Ron could say anything, Dumbledore got up on stage and put his hand up and everything went quiet.  
  
"I would now like to introduce the six top students and their escorts." Dumbledore said as he began to read off the names of the students. Supposedly, they were supposed to walk casually onto the stage and then stay there till the rest of them came.   
  
"The first 7th year top student: Angelina Johnson escorted by Fred Weasley." The two of them strolled out on stage doing what looked like the muggle tango. They finally got to the center of the stage where Fred took a hold of Angelina and spun her around rapidly then dipped her. The both took a clumsy bow and ran off stage. Dumbledore paused for a moment with a rather bewildered expression.   
  
"Anyway, next it the other 7th year: Gregory McCain, accompanied by Isabella Freeman. Our first sixth year student it Lila Thomas, with one of the fifth year students, Draco Malfoy." The chatter of the room stopped when they saw Malfoy walk out onto the stage with a tall girl with long brown hair and a few people gasped.   
  
"That can't be right..." Ron said with a scrunched up nose. "But... everyone knows that Lila is in Hufflepuff. Okay... Malfoy definitely lost a bet." Ron muttered, his mouth hanging open.   
  
Whispers flooded the ballroom. Harry looked over at Crabbe and Goyle who looked like they were about to faint.   
  
"He dumped me for her!" cried Pansy Parkinson.   
  
"But she's a Hufflepuff!" screamed a Slytherin boy in the corner of the room.  
  
"And a mud-blood!" another Slytherin screeched.   
  
"I know Lila" Hannah said to them in a whisper. "She's a Hufflepuff prefect. She helped me with my homework a couple of times, real nice. I had no idea that when she was bragging about her date that it was Malfoy" Hannah shuddered.   
  
  
  
"And finally," Dumbledore continued. "Sixth year top student Damon Christophers with fifth year top student, Hermione Granger." Ron felt the sudden urge to boo, but he reminded himself that Hermione was up there with him. So he just joined the other people who began to clap.   
  
"Now that the top students have been introduced... let the ball begin." Dumbledore snapped and the Weird Sisters ((Who are actually guys, if you didn't know)) appeared and began to play a loud tune.  
  
"Come on Ron, let's dance" Hannah said, grabbing his hand and pulling him out to the dance floor.   
  
"Care to dance, Cho?" Harry asked hopefully.   
  
"I guess.... just not too fast. I don't want to ruin my new shoes" she said as she slowly walked towards where Ron and Hannah were dancing. Harry rolled his eyes and followed her.   
  
"Having a good time?" Harry mouthed to wrong as the song entitled "Muggle Trouble" ended. Ron just shrugged and shot a quick glance over at Damon and Hermione who were dancing on stage. The Weird Sisters began to play a sweet, slow song as Harry and Ron's stomach lurched. Ron was just about to start to dance with Hannah when he heard someone behind him.   
  
"Hannah! Is that you?" Ron recognized the voice instantly and turned around to see none other then....   
  
((*cackles* Heh heh, *sigh* Gotta love cliffhangers! I know Malfoy being nice all of a sudden is....odd... but I'll explain later. Keep reviewing! Moony-You have no idea how right you are ^_^ Magical*Me- I know that, and I felt kind of stupid after I wrote it. But then again... it'll all fall into the puzzle sooner or later. heh heh Sunshine Stargirl- Thankya! Hermione Weasley- Well I wasn't actually going to kill off the best guy in the whole story and then keep him dead, hehehehe. AmericanMonkey38- Your stories great! Keep reviewing! And now...Advertising! Like Harry Potter RP? Then join www.avidgamers.com/hprpww/ today! Over 25 message boards to RP on! Made-ups and book characters wanted!! 


	13. Not so Out of Reach and The Phantom

((Ah yes... I finally made it to the ball chapter. I know a lot of you have sort of been confused about the whole 'Ron dying and Hermione saving him' stuff, but believe me, it will have a big purpose ^_^. Read and Review!))  
  
"Ernie!" Hannah exclaimed as she ran towards a guy behind Ron. She threw her arms around his neck as he kissed her on the cheek. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you at Durmstrang?" She asked as they broke apart, leaving Ernie with a grin that was too big for his face.   
  
"Father got into a huge fight with the new headmaster at Durmstrang and so he sent me back here. Isn't that great! And perfect timing too. When I found out they were having a Halloween Ball tonight, I got here as quickly as I could. So here I am." Hannah looked ecstatic but she then remembered Ron and bit her lip and looked over at him.   
  
"Welcome back Ernie," Ron said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Well... I'd best be gone, I have to go find my date," and Ron said lying as he forced a smile, feeling rather uncomfortable with the whole situation.   
  
Hannah frowned as she mouthed, "I'm sorry."  
  
Ron just smirked at her and walked towards Harry who was sitting at a table drinking pumpkin juice and tapping his fingers on the table.   
  
"Where's Cho?" Ron asked as he slumped back into a chair next to Harry with a grin on his face.   
  
Harry sighed. "She's over there talking to her friends." He muttered as he pointed her out on the other side of the room. "I couldn't stand her anymore... So I just told her I had to use the bathroom, so here I am."  
  
"Bummer," Ron replied. "Ernie came back and I knew that Hannah was still in love with him so there goes my night," Ron shrugged. "Oh well."  
  
Harry looked over at him with a puzzled expression. "Oh well? Hannah just chucked you."  
  
"Like I said... oh well," Ron said as Hermione walked up to them dressed as pale looking ghost with long white hair, who looked surprisingly a lot like Lara, with a rather flushed face as Damon trailed along behind her.   
  
"Hi guys.... Where are you're dates?" She asked, wiping off a bead of sweat off her forehead.   
  
"You and Ron were right... If I stayed around her any longer my head would probably explode," Harry exaggerated with a rather disappointed tone.   
  
Hermione bit her lip. "Oh, I'm sorry Harry. I knew how much you liked her." She looked over at Ron.   
  
"One word... Ernie Macmillan."  
  
"That's two, Ron." Harry and Hermione said in unison. Hermione was about to say something else when Damon tapped her on the shoulder.   
  
"Come on Hermione. Let's dance." Before Hermione could refuse, he took her hand and pulled her to where everyone else was dancing.   
  
Ron sighed and Harry stood up. "I'm going to get some more punch. Do you want some?" Harry said as he re-adjusted the strap for his broomstick.   
  
"Uh, no thanks," he replied, keeping his eyes on Hermione. Harry shrugged and walked over to a large punch bowl that was right next to a door that was slightly open that lead out to a balcony outside. He grabbed for a glass when he heard someone singing a sweet melody in half whisper. Too silent that Harry couldn't understand the words. He set the glass back onto the table and moved slowly towards the door and pushed it open slightly so he could walk through it.   
  
The sky was dark with the only light coming from the bright moon and stars that reflected off a young girl with bright red hair that was sitting on a large brim of a fountain that was centered on the balcony. He moved towards where the girl was sitting and stopped abruptly when he saw who it was.   
  
"Ginny?" He muttered. Ginny looked up at him with a tear rolling down her cheek. She had a long blue dress with a purple train.   
  
"H....Harry? What are you doing out here? Where's Cho?" She asked.   
  
Harry sat down besides her and he felt a sudden breeze blow through his hair. "Uh, we realized that we didn't have as much in common as we thought. So what's wrong?"  
  
"Maybe I'm being sentimental, but why does love have to be so painful.... I mean, look at Ron and Hermione. They've probably fancied each other for as long as we both know, yet, they still fight incessantly. And even though I...uh...person "A" fancies person "B" and yet person "B" probably wouldn't give me, I mean person "A" the time of day so..." she was know blushing furiously. "But you probably don't want to here about that." She muttered frantically.   
  
Harry sighed. "I know how you feel," he whispered.  
  
She looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What? How?"  
  
Harry gulped and breathed in deeply. "You see...even though I thought it was Cho that I fancied, but tonight I realized... that I was wrong... Maybe I'm just being naive," he sighed heavily. "I mean, how could you not find a date... I mean, you're nice... and smart and..." He gulped. "And pretty an' all," he smiled slightly as she blushed.   
  
"Thanks Harry," she said, wiping away her tears from her face as it began to heat up.  
  
It seemed like hours they were just sitting there, just looking around, and avoiding each other's eyes. Not wanting to talk, yet not wanting to get up and leave.   
  
  
  
Harry tapped his fingers on the water in the fountain and looked over at her. "What were you singing?" He asked, trying to break the silence.   
  
"Oh...uh... it was nothing. It was just a song I heard over the speakers at the train station." She muttered.   
  
"Can I hear it?" He whispered.   
  
She shrugged. "Everyday just seems so long... every minute that I'm here without you. Will tomorrow ever come? Will I ever get the chance to feel you? I need you so much. You're out of reach... you're out of reach but you're so close. I hear you call, I feel you fall but..."  
  
She stopped singing the words when Harry leaned over and pressed his lips dramatically against hers. After awhile, he pulled away and smiled. "You were out of reach," he whispered.   
  
((I know, I know, fluff fluff with a dumb song, meh! It gets better though. Keep reading on....))  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Ron tapped his fingers on the table as he watched Hermione dance with Damon. "What's so special about him? He's just a stupid git and that's all he'll ever be," Ron muttered to himself under his breath. Just a few seconds later, Damon pulled Hermione in for a kiss. Ron felt his face heat up with anger. "I GIVE UP!" He yelled as he jumped up from his seat and stormed out of the room.   
  
Damon pulled Hermione in for another kiss but she pulled him off of her. He grabbed onto her wrist for another kiss. "Let go of me," she demanded. He just pulled her tighter. She got free of his grasp and smacked him so hard on the right side of his face that you could see a red outline of a hand on his cheek.   
  
"I thought you liked me, Hermione," he hissed at her as he rubbed his cheek.   
  
"Yeah well, I was stupid to think you liked me," she snapped back and stormed off to a table and sat down.   
  
"Uh, that stupid git!" She stammered as she crossed her arms. She looked around the room and someone near the entrance door stood out, oddly enough. They were walking straight towards her. She tilted her head and looked at the person. She didn't know what was so interesting about the person, it was a costume party after all, there had to be a dozen other people wearing phantom masks.   
  
The phantom stepped closer with a long black cloak with a hood covering the person's features. She couldn't make out the face because the mask was concealing the top half of their face, only leaving eye holes, but she knew that it was a guy from their facial expression.   
  
The phantom stepped up to her and held out his hand. "Would you like to dance?" he whispered in an odd voice. ((Obviously wanting to conceal his real voice, wink wink)) His voice trailed in Hermione's mind as she tried to pair it up with a face. It sounded oddly familiar.  
  
Hermione lightly grabbed his hand and stood up. He lead her to the center of the room and held her ((Dancing as it's normally called)) "This may sound rude... but who are you?" she muttered.  
  
He chuckled slightly and smiled. "I am the one who wrote the letter," he whispered in her ear.   
  
Hermione felt his breath tingle on her neck, as a chill ran down her spine. "But...Damon wrote that letter."  
  
He shook his head. "Damon lied."  
  
"But...who are you?"  
  
"I... I love you 'Mione. I always have," he stuttered, smiling even more brightly. Hermione looked into his sharp blue eyes. They were so familiar, so deep, so kind. Everything about him was so familiar to her, she just couldn't piece two and two together. Hermione took her hands off his shoulders and began to take the mask off his face, but he quickly pushed it back on.   
  
Hesitating for awhile, Hermione put her arms back around his neck and brushed her lips with his gently. They broke away and he placed his hand on her cheek. A loud chime echoed through the room as the masked man looked up at a nearby clocked.   
  
"12:00, oh..." the phantom yelled. Hermione had the sudden urge to yell out Ron's name out of habit for him swearing. But then she remembered, this wasn't Ron. He let go of Hermione. "I have to go."  
  
"Will I ever know who you are?" she asked hopefully.   
  
"'Mione, listen closely:  
  
As darkness nears, a solemn end,   
  
I hope to be more then just your friend.   
  
Wait for me, as my love for you grows  
  
Wait until the night, my one sweet rose." he leaned towards her and kissed her on the cheek and dashed quickly out of the ballroom, leaving Hermione speechless.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The phantom ran into the common room, panting madly with a large grin spreading across his face. He threw off the mask to reveal his messed up hair beneath the cloak. He sighed heavily of his accomplishment and threw himself onto the couch.   
  
"Okay, you can come out now Lara." the boy said. A ghostly women glided across the room with a large smile spread across her face. "Why did I have to leave at exactly midnight?" he asked.   
  
"I tried telling you this before," Lara said, rolling her eyes exuberantly. "You couldn't be seen by Harry and Ginny when they came back. They would have stopped you."  
  
"Wait... why would Harry be with Ginny?"  
  
Lara didn't say anything. She just messed up his red hair even more.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey Hermione, where's Damon?" Harry asked as he and Ginny walked up to Hermione who was slumped in her chair, apparently in deep thought.   
  
She looked around the room until she saw Damon snogging another girl who she recognized. "Looks like he's lip-locked with your date," she said as Harry shook his head.   
  
"I went with the wrong person." he grinned over at Ginny who blushed wildly.   
  
Hermione beamed at both of them. "It's about time!"  
  
"What about you?" Harry and Ginny replied in unison.   
  
"What about me?" Hermione asked with a puzzled expression.  
  
"Ron!" They both screamed at the same time again.  
  
Hermione ignored them and pretended to yawn. "Well, I'm quite exhausted. I think I'll be off to bed," she said, stretching her arms out as she yawned again as she walked up to the common room.   
  
When she got there, it was completely empty except for a boy sitting on a couch with a book open as he flipped a page. "Back so soon?" Ron asked. "I would've thought you would be with your date.   
  
"Well," Hermione sighed. "Let's just say we didn't quite see eye-to-eye. So what are you reading?" she asked curiously, sitting down beside him.   
  
"Oh...uh..." he lifted the book up off of his lap to show her the cover. "Hogwarts; A History."  
  
"I think I've read that a couple of times," she smiled as he just chuckled.   
  
"So, how was the ball?" he asked, setting the book down.   
  
She sighed heavily. "It was great after awhile... It just ended too soon." She suddenly found heaviness in her eyes. She began to drift off to sleep as soon as she closed them.   
  
Ron laid his head on top of hers. "It did end to soon," he whispered as he closed his eyes. After awhile... the Grey Lady flew soundlessly towards them and laid a soft blanket over them and sighed.   
  
"Oh I do hope this all works out..." she sighed and slowly began to move to the door. "For all of us..." she muttered softly to herself as she left.   
  
((Hmm.... I wonder what Lara meant by that...^_^ You'll just have to keep reading! And yes, this is also a Harry/Ginny fic. too! Keep reviewing!   
  
Reviewers-  
  
Straycat: To the questions:  
  
1.The red rose will begin to appear around Christmas  
  
2.*zips mouth*  
  
3. You'll find out later in the story  
  
4. and remember that Harry gave Fred and George the money in the past year and told them to buy Ron some new dress robes. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
AmericanMonkey38: Thankya!  
  
Hermione Weasley: Well...I had to get rid of Hannah some way *shrugs*  
  
Tsunami Wave: Yeah, I'm just learning how to post chapters without Microsoft Word, so it's screwing up the paragraphs.  
  
Magical*Me: Me love cliffies...well...in my story, not when other people write them ^_^ Keep reviewing! 


	14. The Other One Who Could Save Him

((A/N: Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. I just finished writing the end to this story so I've been really busy.   
  
Disclaimer: Would I really be writing this on fanfiction.net if I owned it? Eh?  
  
Read and review!))  
  
"Well there's something you don't see everyday," Ginny said as she and Harry tilted their heads with bewilderment at the sight. It was the morning after the ball and Ron and Hermione were fast asleep on the couch with their heads against the other ones.   
  
"Hmm... Should we wake them?" Ginny asked curiously.  
  
"Well, at least wake Ron up... we have a Quidditch game in ten minutes," Harry said hurriedly.   
  
Ginny began shaking Ron. "Wake up Ronnie."   
  
Ron rubbed his eyes and mumbled something like, "Ten more minutes' mummy." Ginny slapped him gently on the cheek.   
  
"You can't sleep another ten minutes! You have a game in ten minutes!" She yelled in his ear.   
  
Ron shot up from his seat, making Hermione fall over on her head and wake up. "Wha... Where am I?" She questioned, rubbing her head.   
  
"Uhh... let's go 'Arry," Ron said as he ran out of the common room. They ran as fast as they could to the Quidditch Pitch where they met a few angry faces.   
  
"Where have you two been?" Alicia Spinnet, the new Quidditch captain yelled. "I thought that we were going to have to forfeit the game!"  
  
"Sorry, I overslept," Ron murmured.   
  
"Not exactly the best thing to do when you have your first game!" She yelled even louder than before.   
  
"Cool down Ali, you're starting to sound just like Ollie," George Weasley said as he and Fred walked up to them with their brooms slung over their shoulders.   
  
Alicia rolled her eyes and shooed Ron and Harry into the locker rooms. They quickly changed into their Quidditch robes and Ron smiled.   
  
"So this is what being on the team feels like," He beamed as Harry shrugged and patted him on the back.   
  
"A slight bit of warning though... My first year, Wood told me that a new members first game is cursed. Bad things always happen," Harry said laughing, but stopped because he saw Ron's horrified face. "But... that's just a myth, it's not like true or anything," Harry sputtered as Ron gulped and walked out to the field.   
  
Ron looked up into the stand full of cheering people and began to beam brightly again. Harry walked up behind him and patted him on the back again. "Now this is what being on the team is like."  
  
Ron looked over at the Gryffindor side in time to see Hermione and Ginny hang up a sign that was flashing back and forth between Ron and Harry's name. They both swung their legs over their brooms and kicked off the ground to where the Gryffindor and Slytherin team were waiting for them.   
  
"Now that you two have decided to join us," Madam Hooch hissed from her broomstick as Ron blushed. "We can begin." She backed her broom away. "Get ready..." she paused for a moment and looked over at Ron who was still hovering next to Harry. "That means you too Mr. Weasley."  
  
Ron looked puzzled. "Huh?"  
  
Madam Hooch rolled her eyes dramatically. "Are you the keeper or not?"  
  
Ron remembered that he was supposed to be at the goal post and blushed even more as he quickly flew over to where he was supposed to be and gripped his broom tightly.   
  
Harry shot a glance over at Malfoy who was sniggering. "Think that's funny Malfoy?" Harry asked grimly. Malfoy was about to say something, but instead he turned around towards the Hufflepuff section in the crowd. He turned back towards Harry and shook his head. Harry blinked with confusion as Malfoy waited for Madam Hooch to blow the whistle.   
  
"Okay, I want a clean game... from all of you." Madam Hooch yelled. Harry caught a glimpse of Ron out of the corner of his eye and saw Ron begin to breathe faster. "Captains, shake hands."   
  
Alicia and Slytherin's new captain Sibyl O'Fallon shook hands with a sneer on both of their faces. "Okay... 1, 2," Madam Hooch blew her whistle and threw the Quaffle into the air.   
  
"And the quaffle is released!" Lee Jordan's voice said threw a microphone in the stands. "And it's caught by none other than the ravishing and witty Angelina Johnson." Fred glared hard at Lee from his spot and Lee gulped. "That's what I would have said if I was Fred Weas..."  
  
"Lee, just announce the game," Professor McGonnogal said through pursed lips.   
  
"Right...uh... Johnson pitches it to Bell; Bell throws it to Spinnet, and Spinnet scores! Ten points to Gryffindor. Slytherin in play, Allen passes it to O'Fallon, O'Fallon... oh that was a close call for Slytherin... Slytherin still in play. Allen throws it to... oh wait! Alicia Spinnet intercepts it and passes it to Johnson and yes! Gryffindor scores again! 20-0, Gryffindor."  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes for any sign of a glint of gold from the snitch. He looked over at Malfoy who barely looked like he was keeping his eyes open. Harry flashed a glance at Ron who was trembling abruptly.   
  
"Calm down," Harry mouthed to Ron who nodded slightly. Harry looked back to the game. Something caught his eye near the Ravenclaw stands. It wasn't the snitch... it was a person... floating in mid-air without a broom. They looked human... I mean it was a person.... A solid human... or were they? Harry blinked and the person was gone. He had become totally unaware of his surroundings and missed a large bludger zoom right past his head, straight towards the goal post. Fred and George tried to hit it down but when they did, it didn't stop, it just kept zooming... straight towards the goal post... heading straight towards Ron.   
  
"RON! DUCK!" Harry yelled as Ron turned and looked at him curiously.   
  
"There are no ducks around..."  
  
WHACK! The bludger smacked right into Ron's stomach. Ron lunged forward clutching his stomach as the bludger just fell to the ground and disappeared.   
  
"Ron!" Harry heard Hermione and Ginny scream. Ron moaned as Harry flew over to him to help. Madam Hooch blew her whistle as she flew her broom towards them.   
  
"This game has been postponed until the keeper recovers and we get a new bludger," she called out to everyone as they moaned or booed.   
  
Harry dragged Ron down to the ground the best he could and laid him down on the grass as Hermione and Ginny ran up to them.   
  
Ron moaned loudly again as Harry looked up at saw the same ghostly lady as he saw before with a large frown on her face, standing in the crowd of people, staring straight at them. A few people moved in front of her and she disappeared again.   
  
Harry turned back towards Ron who was trying to sit up, but wasn't quite successful. Madam Pomfrey rushed over and saw him and sighed. "Not you again. Hopefully you wont die out on us like last time," she said in a certain way that made Ron wonder if she was joking. "Well, off we go then." She summoned as stretcher and dragged him up to the Hospital Wing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ron opened his eyes and looked around. He had somehow gotten to the Hospital Wing. "How did I get here?" He said, thinking out loud.  
  
"I think that would be partially my fault," said a voice that seemed to be coming from no where. Ron looked around the room, puzzled. Lara emerged from the wall on the side across from him. "You see... I needed to speak to you without interruptions. So I cast a spell on the bludger so you would have to come here. I needed to speak to you about something," she murmured with a serious expression on her face.   
  
"What about?" Ron asked, trying to sit up but found excruciating pain in his chest. He cringed from the stabbing pain and lay back down.   
  
"She's in danger... I know it," Lara said breathing in deeply.   
  
"What kind of danger?" He asked panicky.  
  
"Ron, it's Voldemort... he's trying to keep something from happening that was supposed to a thousand years ago," Ron flinched at the name.   
  
"What happened a thousand yea..." he was about to finish his question when he heard a knocking at the door. Lara gasped and disappeared. Ron frowned and the door opened. He expected to see Madam Pomfrey with medicine, but instead...  
  
"Malfoy!" Ron yelled. "What the bloody hell do you want!"  
  
"Sorry if I'm disturbing you... or something. On behalf of the team... well, me... I just wanted to say sorry 'an all... for the whole bludger thing."  
  
Ron looked horrified and shocked. "What the heck is wrong with you!" he screamed. "What are you acting so weird!"  
  
Malfoy frowned slightly. "I guess it's partially because of Lila. I mean, I know she's against everything my father tells me... but I'm so bloody in love with her to the point that I just don't care anymore. You see we met accidentally when she was sending a letter to her cousin, and the owl got sidetracked and I ended up getting it. We sent each other owls back and forth throughout the summer and promised not to say what house we were in until school. And when school began, we could've cared less. It was pure fate," he said breathing in deeply and sighing.   
  
Ron blinked at him with a bewildered expression. "You've gone mental." Ron said with his mouth hanging open.   
  
"Maybe... but don't you believe in soul mates and stuff," Malfoy asked.   
  
Ron looked absolutely horrified. "I have know idea why you're talking to me about this. Hence the Quidditch robes," he said, pulling his sleeve from under the blanket to show him the Gryffindor colors.   
  
Draco sighed heavily. "Maybe so... but those lug heads don't approve of Lila and crap like that." Ron frowned and Malfoy extended his hand out to him. "I just think we shouldn't be on the wrong side of the track," he muttered.  
  
Ron tried to sit up but found intense pain once again. Ron just laid back down and stretched out his hand and Draco shook it. Ron felt a sudden chill run down his spine as Malfoy let go. Ron's hand dropped beside him once again as a spread of warmth streamed through him. The pain was gone. He was able to sit up without feeling stabbing knives in his chest.   
  
"Seeya," Malfoy said as he walked out the door.   
  
Ron looked stunned when he left. He wondered why he wasn't hurting anymore. But then he remembered what Lara had said. "Lara..." he called out... but no one came.   
  
((Ah yes, but another chapter. And here's where the real fun begins *laughs insanely* heh heh. Well anyway! No cliffy or anything here, so I give you spoiler for next chapter:  
  
"I guess it's a good thing then. If anything, Ron should be the one to tell her, not us." Harry muttered as Ginny nodded.   
  
"Maybe so," she grinned mischievously. "But that doesn't mean we can't help them along..."  
  
"Do you have a plan?" Harry asked.   
  
"Maybe..." she smiled brightly. "Operation RWHG begins tonight."  
  
Reviews:  
  
Magical*Me: Just wait...it gets better, heh heh heh  
  
Straycat:Thank ya!  
  
Hermione Weasley: And to think, some of my friends wanted me to make Harry the phantom for Ginny... but that would severly ruin everything! Keep reviewing!  
  
Sunshine Stargirl: Thankya  
  
AmericanMonkey38:lol  
  
S.H. Weasley:Don't we all! I don't think I could ever like a story without Ron/Hermione! Thank you!  
  
Keep Reviewing! 


	15. The Plan

((People must really not have liked the last chapter... I barely got any reviews. Well, here's the next chapter!))  
  
"So you're telling me that Malfoy came into the Hospital Wing to apologize.. And then he shook your hand?" Harry asked Ron as they entered the common room.   
  
"Exactly!" Ron replied as he and Harry walked towards where Hermione sat with her nose buried in a large book.   
  
"Are you sure we're thinking of the same Malfoy? You know, hideously pale, rather oblique expressions, annoyingly bleached hair, always getting us detention, that Malfoy?"   
  
"That's the one," Ron said, sounding as astounded as Harry as they sat down next to Hermione who didn't even look up at them.  
  
"Hermione? Are you listening?" Ron asked her.   
  
"I'm kind of busy right now," she said, still focusing her attention to the book.   
  
Harry looked over at Ron who rolled his eyes. "I don't remember getting any homework over the weekend," Harry mumbled.   
  
"Haven't you learned by now, Harry? It's rarely ever-just schoolwork;" Ron rolled his eyes again as he slumped back into the couch.   
  
"Actually..." Hermione began.   
  
"Here we go..." Ron murmured.  
  
"I'm studying for the O.W.L.s. You do know that they..."  
  
"Will determine out entire future," both Harry and Ron mocked.   
  
Hermione frowned. "Well I don't see either of you studying," she snapped.   
  
"It's not that I don't want to, it's just..." Ron paused for a moment in deep thought. "All right, I just don't want to," he shrugged.  
  
"Oh come on, Hermione. Just put the books down... just for tonight," Harry made a face that looked like a sad puppy dog.   
  
"What's so special about tonight," she asked curiously, now looking up at them.   
  
  
  
Ron obviously didn't know, but Harry nodded at him to make something up. "Well...uh...we would tell you... but then we would have to kill you," Ron looked over at Harry who nodded with a slight grin.   
  
Hermione sad something under her breath. "Oh come on Hermione! It'll be fun" Harry said again.   
  
"How do you I know you're not just setting me up to get me away from studying?"  
  
"Cross our hearts," Ron said as he and Harry made X marks on their chests with their fingers.   
  
"This better not be a set up, or you both will pay." She replied. Hermione paused for a moment and saw them grinning wildly at her, awaiting an answer. "Oh all right. I guess I can postponed studying, just for tonight... now you can tell me what's going on."  
  
"Sorry Hermione," Harry began.   
  
"You'll just have to wait and see," Ron added as Hermione frowned again.   
  
"Fine," she said as she dropped her book down and stood up. She crossed her arms and walked up to the girls' dormitory.   
  
After she had left, Harry turned his attention back towards Ron who looked confused. "So what are we doing tonight?" He asked with a risen eyebrow.  
  
"Don't you pay attention at all in Astrology?" Harry asked. "What's scheduled to happen at exactly midnight?"  
  
Ron's face lit up. "The meteor shower! That's brilliant!"  
  
Harry grinned. "And I found this really cool place in the Forbidden Forest that I found when I was helping Hagrid last year. We should be able to see it perfectly from there."  
  
"Let's see... going into the Forbidden Forest, going out after curfew... going out way after curfew actually. I wonder if Hermione knows we'll be breaking school rules?" Ron laughed as Harry shrugged. "So... whom are you going to take along? Not Cho hopefully."  
  
Harry mumbled something under his breath. "What? I couldn't hear you?" Ron said. Harry mumbled the same thing again and Ron hit him slightly on the head.   
  
"I'm not going to laugh."  
  
"Fine... I invited Ginny," Harry murmured. Ron paused for a moment but then burst out laughing.   
  
"You're kidding right?" Ron asked still howling with laughter. Harry shook his head and Ron stopped laughing.   
  
"You... and my kid sister? That's real gross, Harry," Ron said with his nose scrunched up.   
  
"I really like her Ron, and well, are you mad?" Harry asked silently.  
  
"Are you kidding? Heck no, I'm fine 'bout it. It's just sort of weird," Ron shuddered.   
  
"So you're not mad?" Harry repeated.   
  
"No... But if you lay one finger on her... I swear you'd be wishing you were in Azkaban," Ron threatened. Harry chuckled but Ron frowned at him.   
  
"Oh... you were serious."  
  
-Meanwhile-  
  
Hermione walked into the girls' dormitory. "Hey Hermione" said Ginny who was lying on her stomach on her bed reading a book.   
  
"Hi," Hermione replied solemnly.   
  
"I can't wait for tonight! Can you?" Ginny said giggling slightly.   
  
"Oh good. So you're coming too." Hermione said. "For a moment I thought that it was going to be some joke," Hermione smiled.   
  
"Well, I mean, why would it be?" She asked as Hermione shrugged.   
  
"So do you have any idea where we're going?" Hermione asked curiously, sitting on her own bed.   
  
Ginny shook her head. "Harry wouldn't tell me," she said shrugging.   
  
"Same here... I wonder where it could be?" Hermione bit her lip as they brainstormed.   
  
"Well, it is the weekend... maybe they're taking us to Hogsmeade or something," Ginny said, tapping her quill on her book.   
  
"I just hope it's nothing that would be breaking rules. I mean, prefects aren't supposed to get in trouble." Hermione sighed.   
  
"Well, we'll find out tonight then, wont we," Ginny replied, finally closing her book.   
  
"I guess so," she shrugged.   
  
"So... are you going to kiss him?" Ginny asked as Hermione frowned.   
  
"Kiss whom?"   
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "For someone so smart you can be awfully dumb sometimes. My brother of course!"  
  
"Why in the world would I want to do that?"  
  
"Sheesh, you really are clueless," Ginny rolled her eyes again "It's obvious you fancy him, and more that he feels that same. You two are just too blind to admit it. I know for a fact that I wasn't dreaming when I heard them talking about you."  
  
"You're quite delusional, Ginny. I mean honestly," Hermione muttered, not believing a single word she had said... except for one.   
  
Ginny's face lit up. "So you do fancy him!" she giggled.   
  
"Come on Ginny, let's just get ready for tonight, all right?"  
  
"It's not like you have any risk with telling him."  
  
"Ginny, you don't know. For all you know... I could like someone else," she muttered.  
  
"Who?" Ginny replied, raising an eyebrow.   
  
"Well... I'm not quite sure actually. he was wearing a mask." she bit her lip.   
  
"What kind of mask? Like that kind of mask that muggle people wear when they're stealing something... which I really don't quite understand."  
  
"No, no. He was wearing a white phantom mask with a long cloak and hood." Hermione replied as Ginny gasped.   
  
"Uh... Hermione? The mask you say... uh, did it happen to have a small dent of the left side?" Ginny asked stuttering and smiling brightly.   
  
Hermione pictured the phantom again and nodded. Ginny's face lit up even more. "What?"  
  
"Uh, nothing," Ginny muttered as she stood up. "You're right, we really better get ready," she said, almost squealing with laughter.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So what you're saying is that Ron put on the mask and began spilling to Hermione how he feels?" Harry asked Ginny. They sitting at a small, isolated table in the corner of the room, waiting for Ron and Hermione. Ginny nodded. "Well, how do you know it was Ron and not some other guy?"  
  
"Harry, I practically know every single detail about that mask. That was Fred and George's mask that they used to be-witch to haunt me and Ron." she shuddered. "And Fred and George were dancing with Angelina and Alicia the whole time so it was the perfect opportunity to sneak up to the common room and get the mask."  
  
Harry's mouth hung open. "That's brilliant." He gaped.   
  
"That's my brother for ya," she smiled.   
  
"Well, why didn't you explain to Hermione that Ron was the phantom?"  
  
"She won't listen to me at all. Like I told her; for a smart person she can be awfully dumb sometimes. Not to mention stubborn."  
  
"I guess it's a good thing then. If anything Ron should be the one to tell her, not us," Harry muttered as Ginny nodded.   
  
"Maybe so," she grinned mischievously. "But that doesn't mean we can't help them along."  
  
"Do you have a plan?" Harry asked.   
  
"I might..." she smiled. "Operation RWHG begins tonight."  
  
((A/N: I know that I used the preview that I gave you last chapter at the end of this chapter but *shrugs*. I know that RWHG is an extremely stupid name for the plan, but I couldn't come up with anything else. Oh well! Review please!  
  
AmericanMonkey38: Wow, I didn't think my story was that good ^_^ Thanks so much  
  
StRaWbErRiEs AnD BlUeBeRrIeS: *shrugs* Not one of my better names but heck, Thank ya  
  
Magical*Me: I know creepy aint it... but I've got some tricks up my sleeve *cackles insanly* *cough* yeah... 


	16. Operation RWHG

Title: Harry Potter and the Red Rose  
  
Author: Midnight Shadow  
  
Rated: PG  
  
Disclaimer: I wrote this story... but I don't own the characters and whatnot.   
  
"So where exactly are you taking us?" Hermione asked as they walked out of the castle covered by the invisibility cloak with Hermione and Ron behind Ginny and Harry who was watching the Marauders Map in front of him.   
  
"You'll see," Harry muttered back. It was nearly 11:15 when they left the common room. It was pitch black outside except for the large quarter moon and star s that were lighting the way.   
  
"This way," Harry said, pointing towards the Forbidden Forest.  
  
"We're not going in..." Hermione gulped. "There... are we?"  
  
"Oh don't be such a baby 'Mione," Ron muttered.   
  
"I am not Ronald," Hermione snapped, jabbing Ron slightly in the ribs as he laughed.   
  
"Just come on," Harry said as he took Ginny's hand and ran out from under the Invisibility Cloak and raced towards the forest.   
  
"Wait up," Ron yelled to them as he and Hermione ran after them.   
  
"Are you sure this is going to work, Ginny?" Harry whispered to her so that Hermione and Ron couldn't hear.   
  
"It has to," she muttered with a solemn expression on her face.   
  
"And what is it doesn't?" Harry asked.   
  
She frowned slightly. "Then they're more hopeless then we thought."  
  
"Let's be quiet now... they might hear us," Harry whispered as they ran past Hagrid's Hut into the forest.   
  
"Slow down," Ron yelled in a hushed voice, finally catching up to them.   
  
"We're almost there," Harry replied back to them.  
  
"Thank goodness," Hermione sighed.   
  
They walked farther into the Forbidden Forest until they came to what looked like a dead end.   
  
"Are you sure you remember where it was, Harry?" Ron asked.   
  
Harry nodded. "Just..." he took out his wand. "Lumos." They could now see a bright tip on Harry's wand that lit the trees up within a five-foot radius.   
  
Harry looked around for a moment before he saw a peculiar tree branch. "There it is," Harry said. He pulled the branch away and revealed a large circular opening.   
  
"Wow," Hermione and Ginny said at the same time. Their eyes began to wander around the area as Harry lit a fire with his wand in the center.   
  
"Now what?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Gin what time is it?" Harry asked as he looked up to the sky as if he was looking for something. Ginny looked at her wristwatch.   
  
"Uh... it's 11:45."  
  
"11:45... we're not supposed to be wandering around this late," Hermione said, practically whimpering. Then she froze and gasped. "Wait a second, isn't today November 2nd?"  
  
Harry and Ron nodded and grinned.   
  
"Uh... Ginny and I are... going to find some... wood... for the fire," Harry said abruptly. "You two just ...set up or whatever." Harry took Ginny's hand again and ran out of the entrance looking around. Ron raised an eyebrow at them but Hermione just shrugged.   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"I know this might be a stupid question, but what exactly are you going to go when you get out of Hogwarts?" Ron asked Hermione from their spot on the ground where they were lying on their backs, looking up at the sky.   
  
"Well, I've always wanted to be a librarian," she muttered.   
  
"Big surprise there," Ron said sarcastically. "You could be anything you want, 'Mione, I mean, you're smart enough."  
  
"Yes, well, when I get older I want to have a large family, so I don't want to be traveling." With what light there was, Ron could see Hermione blush slightly.   
  
Ron smiled. "I do too... I mean, even though it's tough growing up in a large family to the point that you're hanging by a thread to keep your sanity... I wouldn't have it any other way."  
  
"So what do you want to do, when we're done with Hogwarts?" Hermione asked him.   
  
"Actually, I've always wanted to be an Auror... or a Quidditch Player," he smiled.   
  
A long silence hit them before Hermione started talking again. "Ron, can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Sure, anything."  
  
She sat up slightly and looked him in the eye. "Why did you leave the ball early?"  
  
It was the one question that Ron had dreaded for her to ask him. "Well...uh... I...." Ron paused for a while. "It's just... I got really mad about the whole Hannah thing... so I just left." he fibbed, stuttering insanely.   
  
"But you told me you didn't like Hannah," she muttered.  
  
"Oh...uh... did I?" he stammered as she nodded.   
  
"Well... I need to tell you something," he closed his eyes slightly as if he was about to face the impossible.   
  
"About what?" she found herself saying.   
  
"About the night of the ball, you see, after I left... I came back, as... wait!" His eyes widened up again as he looked at the sky. "The stars are falling!" he yelled to her. He wasn't lying. The stars above them were falling through the air.   
  
"Oh... it's beautiful," Hermione muttered.   
  
"Make a wish..." Ron whispered to her. Hermione closed her eyes tightly and found herself asking the one wish she truly wanted. She opened her eyes and saw Ron staring at her.   
  
"What did you wish for?" she asked him.   
  
"Confidence..." he choked out.   
  
"Confidence for what," she asked with a furrowed brow.   
  
"Something I should have done a very long while ago," He replied under his breath so she couldn't make out all the words.   
  
"What?" she asked. He leaned forward quickly to her, but was stopped by a sudden yell.   
  
"Ron, watch out!" a voice screamed from behind him. A boy jumped out from the bushed and pushed Ron and Hermione out of the way just before a beam of light hit the spot right where they were sitting. They both slid back a few feet, now farther apart. Ron looked around him to the place he was normally sitting and saw a icy looking shadowed figure smoothly glide away.   
  
Ron faced his attention to the boy that had pushed him out of the way... at least... he thought he looked somewhat like a boy. The stranger was crouched up on his legs like a kangaroo ready to pounce with his hands buried into the dirt in front of him. He had large dark brown eyes with long, wild orange hair. He had strange white marking up along both of his arms. But the strangest thing of all was that he had a long fiery orange fur tail and sharp pointy ears like a fox with long canine teeth.   
  
"Who... who are you?" Ron said, stumbling to find words.   
  
"I am Kez. I run these parts of the forest," he got up and all four and began to circle Ron like he was prey. "I do not need to ask you who you are."  
  
"How do you know who I am... what was that thing?" Ron asked.   
  
The boy frowned slightly. "That was a dark creature of the forest... we do not speak of them..." he shivered. "And many men and woman wander into this forest but lately you and Harry Potter come here incessantly."   
  
Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Kez's eyes darted towards her. He began circling Hermione the same way he had with Ron.   
  
His large auburn eyes widened larger with curiosity. "Lara?" he muttered, tilting his head. Ron looked over at Hermione. He had to quickly do a double take before rubbing his eyes. Ron knew that Hermione looked a lot like Lara with the ghost make-up like at the ball... but if Lara was human again... the resemblance would be uncanny.   
  
"This is my other fried... Hermione Granger," Ron said.   
  
Kez raised an eyebrow and his ears perked up. "So you are not Lara? You look much like her..." He began circling her again. "Are you sisters?"  
  
"Uh... Kez, Lara died probably 1000 years ago," Ron blinked.   
  
"Oh... have I been sleeping that long? Oh how I miss the days when she and Godric would come play with me..." he sighed. "How I miss the days."  
  
"Godric... Godric Gryffindor?" Ron asked curiously.   
  
"Ah yes, that's the name," he nodded.   
  
"How old are you exactly?" Hermione asked. "You don't look old enough you be above the age of thirteen."  
  
"Hmph..." Kez scowled. "I am almost 1,300 years old... I am almost a man," he said, as he smacked his hand gently over his bare chest. "Are you sure you are not related to Lara Freedingwald?" he asked again, still focusing his eyes on Hermione.   
  
"Freedingwald? She never told us her last name," Ron muttered as he scratched his scalp. Hermione just froze there as her jaw dropped.   
  
((A/N: One thing I would like to point out is that I am extremely disappointed ((And probably a lot of you are too)) of the lack of Ron/Hermione stuff in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. And another thing which I thought was incredibly funny for me was how Ron said something like "That has a better chance of happening then dad becoming Minister of Magic." Oh how they mock me. There is a few more things that I want to say about this... but I won't be able to until I post Chapter 20 or Chapter 21. The number of chapters I will have is 21, which I am sort of happy about cause that was my minimum limit that I made for myself when I started this story! Read and review!!  
  
Reviews:  
  
Magical*Me: I am keeping me mouth closed about when Ron and Hermione do finally get together... all I have to say is that the chapter 'Realizations of Ron' is coming up... and the chapter just sort of gives it away *shrugs* Thank ya!   
  
S.H. Weasley: As much as I don't like reading cliffhangers... I like writing them. This chapter actually wasn't supposed to be a cliffhanger, it was actually supposed to be a two part chapter but I didn't have time to write the other one. Thank you!  
  
The Girl Who Loves To Read: Ron/Hermione is the best combination ever! It's basicly the only one that makes complete sense. *shrugs* Oh well, thank you!  
  
Twizzlers: Yesss... the diary... that reminds me *grins evily* well anyway! Thanks for reviewing!)) 


	17. The Broom Closet

((A/N: Recap! Ron and Hermione and in love with each other but don't know the other likes them *gapes* Harry and Ginny got together at the Halloween Ball and now are planning to get Ron and Hermione together somehow. Hermione and Ron met the Grey Lady who has a disturbing past and her actual name is Lara Freedingwald...now... on with the chapter! Oh yeah... I dun own these characters and stuff))  
  
"What is it, Hermione?" Ron asked. There was no reply. "Hermione?" Ron said in a singsong voice.   
  
"I... I know that name," she replied. "When I went to Muggle School we had to do what they call a family tree and the earliest person I found was Elana Freedingwald..."  
  
"Yup yup," Kez nodded. "That's her daughter... real quiet one that one."  
  
"Lara had a daughter?" Ron asked.   
  
"Yup yup," Kez said again. "Only one... one only. She was married for less then a year, she knew she wasn't happy with him... only one person could make her happy." He muttered. "Then Elana was born..."  
  
"Then what?" Ron and Hermione asked at the same time.   
  
"That is all I have heard," he shrugged. "Now you two must leave, this forest is too dangerous at this time of night."  
  
"We need to find our friends though..." Ron said.   
  
"Harry Potter and the other girl left over an hour ago," Kez said. "I'd be glad to show you the way out." They nodded and Kez leaped through the dirt in the direction. A few minutes after chasing Kez, they ended back at the school. "I shall leave you now," Kez said as he darted back into the forest.   
  
"Oh no! Harry took his invisibility cloak!" Hermione cried.   
  
"How are we supposed to get back to the common room without getting caught?" Ron whispered quietly as they entered the castle.   
  
"Arg... I think I might have an idea... leave it to me," Hermione said, grinning mischievously. She grabbed Ron's wrist and pulled him along as she slid along the wall.   
  
"We could use some 007 music right now," Hermione whispered, in slight laughter.   
  
Ron looked puzzled. "What?"  
  
"Never mind... just keep your voice down," she replied. They slid along the corridors as quiet as they possibly could, until...  
  
It was too dark for them to see, Ron smacked right into a vase on a table in the corridor, making it fall onto the ground and crash.   
  
They could see a small lantern bounce down the hall is if someone was walking towards them. "Filch!" Hermione screamed in a whisper.   
  
"Oh no... what are we going to do," Ron quickly paced back and forth biting his finger nail near a wall... he passed it once, twice, three times.   
  
"Reparo," Hermione said, pointing her wand at the vase as it magically revived itself. A large door appeared behind Ron. Hermione grabbed his arms again and opened the door and ran through, just in time.   
  
Filch walked right by where they were standing a few seconds and stopped in front of the vase. "Do you see anything my sweet," wheezed Filch, talking to his cat, Mrs. Norris. The cat just hissed.   
  
"Where are we," Ron asked, squinting his eyes around the room they had entered.   
  
"Lumos..." Hermione said as the tip of her wand lit up. They were in what looked like a small broom closet.   
  
"I've read about this..." Hermione muttered. "This is the Room of Requirement... you walked by the wall three times, Ron!"  
  
"Do you think Filch is gone yet?" Ron said as he pressed his ear against the door.   
  
"They're around here somewhere," Filch said.   
  
"Nope... guess not," Ron whispered.   
  
A few seconds past by when Hermione suddenly looked up at Ron who was squeezed next to her in the closet. "Ron... what was your wish...?" she said silently under her breath.   
  
"I... I think Filch is gone now..." Ron gulped.   
  
"Keep looking my sweet" they heard Filch say from the other side of the door.   
  
Ron gulped. "Uh... well... apparently not."  
  
"Ron... could you please do me the favor of getting your elbow out of my ear," Hermione said coldly as she tried to straighten herself up in what little space there was.   
  
"Sorry... but could you at least stop stepping on my foot..." Ron muttered back.  
  
"Ron... if you fall on me, I swear..." she said in a threatening voice. Just as if on cue, Ron's knees gave in and he fell right against Hermione. Problem was... they were facing each other. It was as if the slip was planned for, but it obviously wasn't. There lips met for mere moments before Ron opened his eyes, suddenly aware of what he was doing, in a horrified sort of way. He broke apart and looked stunned. She was gaping at him with shock.   
  
Ron backed away and turned the knob of the door, suddenly not caring if Filch was out there anymore. He just took a step out and practically ran towards the common room. (Luckily Filch had left) Hermione walked out of the closet, touching her lips with an odd expression, wondering what had happened. She knew it was just a slip... but she couldn't help wondering.   
  
Ron ran up to the common room and found Harry talking on the couch with Ginny. He grabbed Harry by the collar and pulled him up to the boys' dormitory.   
  
"What!" Harry yelled as Ron pushed him back so he was sitting on his bed. Ron looked so pale as if he had seen a troll.   
  
"She must think I'm a monster... I mean... I practically lunged on her... even if it was an accident..." Ron yelled, grabbing his own hair.   
  
"Who!" Harry yelled back.   
  
"Hermione!" Ron responded. "We were coming back to the woods and hid in a broom closet and..." Harry put his hand up to silence him and raised an eyebrow.   
  
"... A broom closet?" Harry chuckled as Ron hit him on the shoulder.   
  
"Listen to me! It was cramped and I fell on her and kissed her," Ron looked about ready to pull out his hair.   
  
"This is great!" Harry exclaimed.   
  
Ron looked over at him like Harry had a disease. "Have you gone mental! Did you hear a word I just said! She probably thinks I'm a troll!"  
  
"Well, what'd you do after?"  
  
"I ran..." Ron gulped.   
  
Harry hit his own forehead. "You... RAN!?"   
  
Ron gulped again. "Pretty pathetic, huh?"  
  
Harry nodded rapidly. "Just great... not only does she think I'm a troll... she also thinks I'm pathetic."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"There's nothing wrong with you..." Ginny mumbled for the fifteenth time as she flipped through her book again.   
  
Hermione sighed heavily as she slowly ran a brush through her bushy hair. "But... he just... ran away... I mean, I know it was a mistake... but..."  
  
Ginny raised a brow. "Do you know it was a mistake?"  
  
"He slipped, okay. It's not like he didn't purposely fall on me... he doesn't like me like that..."  
  
"Wake up! Do you honestly believe that..."  
  
"Ginny, you're just too young," Hermione muttered.   
  
Ginny frowned. "I'm only a year younger then you... besides, I know what true love is, and assumingly you don't," Ginny snapped.   
  
Hermione frowned now. "Oh give me a break!" she yelled. "I do know what true love is!"  
  
"Then why don't you just admit it!" Ginny said in a whisper. "Just admit that you're in love with him!"  
  
"Ginny..." Hermione shook her head disapprovingly. "Its just..." Ginny glared hard at her. "Yes... of course I do... I always have... at least since... well... that whole troll incident in our first year," she said, laughing half heartily.   
  
Ginny squealed. "See, that wasn't so hard, now was it? This is great! I have to go tell Har..."  
  
"No!" Hermione yelled. "No, you can't tell Harry. You especially cannot tell Ron either!"   
  
Ginny sighed heavily. "What ever..."  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Weeks past by until it was mid December. None of them had spoken about the incident, yet Harry and Ginny did their best to come up with another plan. It was snowing out as a cool, brisk breeze blew on their cold bright red faces out on the grounds of Hogwarts.   
  
"If I knew any better, I'd say their up to something..." Hermione murmured to Ron as they eyed Harry and Ginny who were sitting out by the frozen lake. They were quietly whispering to each other and making marks in the snow like a soldier making plans on a battlefield, and glancing quickly at Ron and Hermione who were walking by the entrance and then quickly looking away.  
  
"Why would you say that?" Ron asked as he kicked up snow from the ground as they kept walking.   
  
"Well, for one thing... they've been whispering secretly to each other for the past few weeks." Hermione muttered.  
  
"Probably just some relationship s..." Ron said something that made Hermione yell "Ron!"   
  
"Well, it's true," he shrugged hastily. " I mean, it's great that my sisters dating one of my best friends... it's just... well, weird. It's great... but it also kind of makes me want to gag,"  
  
"I do have to agree... that it quite bugs me hearing Ginny blab on about how dreamy Harry is or how charming and sweet and kind and..."  
  
"Hermione I get it," Ron said as he kicked the snow harder.   
  
"Well... the way she speaks about him... I wouldn't be surprised if she walked into the common room with five dozen roses or something," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.   
  
"A rose, eh?" Ron said in a hushed voice so that Hermione wouldn't hear him as he stroked his chin.   
  
(( *Hands out Ron and Hermione cookies (I don't know what they would actually look like but... just use your imagination *shrugs*) to reviewers. I want to bring up one thing from OoTP... that might be foreshadowing a Ron/Hermione thing *grins* Although people think that Harry and Ginny are a perfect replica of James and Lily... although I somewhat concur I would have to say that Ron and Hermione and a better replica... not the similarities of appearances of the characters, but the attitude. Lily and James basically loathed each other until their 7th year when they began to date. Hermione and Ron basically loath each other (With all their constant fights) So... maybe... they'll get together in their 7th year like Lily and James (Yet we all probably hope it's sooner and that Ron and Hermione don't meet the same fateful end that Lily and James did) And so that my readers is my theory... *shrugs* Anyway... did anyone notice how much time Ron and Hermione spent alone together in the fifth book... I mean, the WHOLE summer, patrolling... basically every time that Harry looks for one or the other, their usually together! I did post another chapter after this because of my late updating and what-not, so your answers to your reviews will be on that page... read on!)) 


	18. A Christmas Riddle from the Phantom

"That's so odd..." Hermione said to Ron as she flipped through a page out a rather large book that was among many.   
  
"What is?" Ron asked as he flipped through pages of the top selling Quidditch magazine "Quidditch Central."  
  
"Lara doesn't seem to be in any of these books," she said with a brow furrowed.   
  
"Why don't you just talk to her," Ron suggested, keeping his eyes on the magazine.   
  
"That's the weird thing... I can't seem to find her. She's not anywhere around school... I looked for her in the Astronomy Tower and even the other ghosts said they haven't seen her for at least a week..." She said in a distraught voice.   
  
"Maybe she went on vacation," Ron murmured.   
  
"Ron, ghosts don't go on vacation," Hermione snapped.   
  
"That's should be your next thing, let ghosts get vacations and pay for haunting the school," Ron said, mocking her obsession with freeing house elves by making the association S.P.E.W. from the last year.   
  
"You are so naive," She said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, ghosts are haunted souls that have unfinished business that keeps them from crossing over."  
  
((A/N: Grr... of course I finished writing my story before OoTP came out so of course that's wrong... but I can't change it! It would ruin everything! Grr))  
  
"Cross over to what?" Ron asked.   
  
"Egyptians used to believe that ever 'sacred' person was to go forward to an after life, after they die, or others believe in re-incarnation. But the place where spirits supposedly want to go is some sort of... oasis. I know this might be an awkward question but... what was it like to die...?"   
  
Ron felt a cold tingle run down his spine as he began to recall the feeling. "It was like... I was falling... just kept falling into darkness. I saw memories of my life... basically flashing before my eyes."  
  
"Like what?" She asked, closing a book that was in front of her, now paying full attention to Ron.   
  
"Well... of our first year... when I said to Harry, well... you remember, then you ran off..." He muttered with a gulp, suddenly feeling guilty.   
  
"Yeah... I remember that," she frowned.   
  
"Of our second year, and... you being petrified." He didn't want to continue about what else he saw after that. "Then our third year, when I was in the Hospital Wing, after you and Harry saved Sirius and Buckbeak. Then... how I was watching..." He blinked, suddenly realizing that all his memories were of Hermione. "everyone at the Yule Ball... and then..."   
  
"Then what?"   
  
"Then I saw the Halloween Ball..." he muttered.  
  
Hermione looked puzzled. "What do you mean? The ball was after that incident."  
  
"I know."   
  
"So you mean, you saw what happened before it actually happened... I mean, did it happen? What was it?"  
  
"I saw a phantom," Ron said simply as Hermione froze.   
  
"Is that it?" Hermione asked, panic stricken.  
  
"No big deal," Ron shrugged. But they both knew that it was. "Hermione, you should just stop looking." Hermione snapped awake from her thoughts and realized that she was looking for something. "I mean, it's holidays... Christmas is in a few days." Ron said exuberantly as he quickly closed his magazine.   
  
Hermione sighed heavily and closed the book in front of her. "I guess you're right." She looked around the library. "Where's Harry?"  
  
"Off with Ginny," Ron said as he rolled his eyes.   
  
"They're so cute together, aren't they?" Hermione said smiling.   
  
  
  
"I guess," Ron shrugged the same way he had the last time she had said something like that. "Can we go then?" he said, motioning to the door.   
  
"Yes," she muttered as she grabbed a pile of books and walked out of the library with Ron trailing behind her.   
  
~*~*~ *~*~  
  
"Ron... wake up!" Harry said, shaking him. Ron let out a long groan and began to rub his eyes.   
  
"What the bloody 'ell do you want?" he moaned.   
  
"It's Christmas you prat," Harry yelled in his ear. Two days had passed since the library and Ron was fast asleep in the boys' dormitory.   
  
Ron jumped up, hitting his head on the other bed that was on top of his. ((Bunk beds)) "Ow..." he said, rubbing his forehead.   
  
"C'mon, Hermione and Ginny want us to meet them down in the common room," he said. Both boys ran down to the common room to find Hermione and Ginny already waiting for them.   
  
"What took you so long?" Ginny said to them as Harry slid into the spot on the couch next to her and Ron plopped down on a large satin chair that was facing the blazing fire in the fireplace.   
  
"Here Harry," Ginny said, handing him a neatly wrapped present. Ron sighed heavily as he gazed into the fire. The voices of Harry and Ginny seemed to be miles away.   
  
"Ron?" Hermione said, walking towards him with a package in her hand.   
  
He turned around to face her as she handed him her gift. "Uh, here... Happy Christmas Ron," she said, smiling.   
  
"Happy Christmas, 'Mione," he grinned back with a small glint in his eyes. He unwrapped the present that Hermione had given him and revealed a leather bound book. "A book..." he put on a fake smile. "Uh... thanks Hermione."  
  
"Open it!" She insisted.   
  
He opened the cover of the page and saw a picture of Harry, Hermione and himself standing together on their first year of Hogwarts. He flipped through the other pages and found one that caught his eye. It was at the Quidditch World Cup, 2 summers ago. Ron was standing in the middle with a bright smile on his face. To his right, Harry was looking around the area he was in, still waving aimlessly at the camera. Hermione, however was looking over at Ron, ruffling up his hair.   
  
Ron laughed at this picture. "I remember that..." he muttered as he stared at it.   
  
"That's one of my favorites... I asked your father and mother to give me some pictures of all of us and this was the first one they sent."  
  
Ron closed the album and smiled. "Thanks 'Mione." He took a little box out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Here," he muttered.   
  
She opened it and pulled out a chained bracelet. It had a small circular locket on it with the letters "H.G." on it. She tried to open the clasp on the locket, but it wouldn't budge.   
  
"Dad got that from a client that was complaining it was biting her... dad un-jinxed it and I asked if I could have it... I got someone to engrave your initials on it." He said, his face slightly turning red.   
  
"Oh Ron, it's lovely," She said, throwing her arms around his neck.   
  
All of a sudden, Hermione felt someone tugging on her shirt. She let go of Ron and turned around to find a tiny little elf with rather large ears behind her. It was Dobby. His ears perked up like a dogs when she turned around. "Miss Granger?" he squeaked. "For you..." he said, holding out a single red rose to her.   
  
"Uh... thank you, Dobby," Hermione muttered, looking quite confused.   
  
"Oh, this not from Dobby, miss. Dobby just deliver to Miss Granger," Dobby said, handing it to her. "This too," he said, as he handed her a folded piece of paper that was under the tea cozy on his head.   
  
Hermione read it: When you walk away, you don't hear me say; please, don't go. Simple and Clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight, it's hard to let go. You're giving me, too many things lately, you're all I need.   
  
Pull a petal not a thorn and my challenge shall be born. A game of truth I give to you, to which way you are going to choose. The next part you shall see, it a riddle for you to see me.   
  
Phantom.   
  
Hermione blinked rapidly at the note with confusion as Ron ripped the note out of her hand and read it through. "Phantom?" he sneered as he threw the note back to her. "Sound like someone out of Saint Mungo if you ask me..." he muttered as he slumped back into his chair. Harry and Ginny looked at each other with an odd expression.  
  
"Dobby, who gave you this?" Hermione asked.   
  
"Dobby cannot say. Dobby told to be quiet," he said abruptly. Hermione frowned.   
  
"Oh look!" Ron said abruptly. "Mum sent me another sweater." He said in a disgusted voice as he pulled out a maroon sweater and a pair of matching socks. "Looks like all of you got one too."   
  
Harry watched Ron carefully as Ginny and Hermione began opening the present from Mrs. Weasley. Dobby crept over to Ron. Ron grabbed a sock off of his own foot and one of the maroon socks and handed it to Dobby who beamed brightly and skipped out of the room.   
  
"Oh! Your mother sent me a red sweater... I love the color red..." Hermione squealed as she squeezed the sweater and quickly put it on.   
  
Ron's face tinted rather quickly with red. "You actually wear that?" Ron asked, trying to put his mind on something else.   
  
"... Of course," Hermione said as she pulled her hair out from inside the sweater. "Why wouldn't I?"  
  
Ron shrugged. Hermione toyed with the rose in her hand. -Pull a petal not a thorn...- she thought. -Am I supposed to pull off a petal... what will that do?- she sighed heavily "Well, it's better then doing nothing..." she murmured to herself as she pulled off one of the silky red flower petals.   
  
-That's odd- she thought to herself as she looked at the petal in her hand. It had a large 'eye' sketched on it with an ink quill.   
  
"Well that's something you don't see everyday," Ron muttered, looking over her shoulder at the petal.   
  
She stuffed the petal gently into the pocket of her robes and scowled at Ron. "It's my own business, Ronald," she snapped.   
  
"I bet it was from Vicky," he sneered. "Or dense Damon..."   
  
"Oh you are so immature..." she rolled her eyes at Ron as he sunk back into his chair. "Do you insist on coming up with ridiculous nicknames for all of them?"  
  
"Maybe," he grumbled under his breath.   
  
"Okay, enough bickering you two," Ginny said, stepping into the argument.   
  
"Yeah, lighten up, it's Christmas," Harry said as he opened a present from Sirius. "I can't wait till school end and I don't have to go live with the Dursley's." Harry said smiling.   
  
"You'll still come to our house though, won't you?" Ginny asked as she grinned. Harry grinned back as Ron choked on a Bertie Bott from the package he had gotten from Harry.   
  
"Ugh..." he said, looking disgusted at them. "I'm not sure I want you around in our house anymore..." Ron said with a sour face.   
  
"Oh grow up Ron," Ginny snapped.   
  
Ron rolled his eyes. "It's bloody amazing how many times people have told me that lately," he exclaimed.   
  
"I wonder why," the rest of them said laughing sarcastically. Ron's face turned scarlet again.   
  
((Hope you all liked this chapter!! Next chapter is: Realizations of Ron. AND... there's a little twist *laughs insanely* *cough* Okay... anyway, please read and review! Oh wait... I want to make it clear that the rose for Christmas is NOT the reason I named it Harry Potter and the Red Rose... that's just a little part that is very interesting to the fact why I named it what it's named... yeah, so anyway...yeah  
  
Reviews from 17th/ some 18th chapter:  
  
Strawberries and Blueberries: I'm thinking that J.K Rowling might have made them not get together in the 5th book for a reason, I haven't thought up anything yet, but it's just a thought. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
muykiay: (For 17th and 18th chapter) Sirius and Lupin did say in the 5th book when Harry asked him about his father that Lily and James got together in their 7th year (Once James had deflated his head a bit) Anyway, I have a bad bad feeling about the 6th book... about supposedly where Rowling got Ron's name *gulp* Anyway, thankya!  
  
MiSSiNDEPENDENT: Yeah, it did, if they don't end up getting together by the end of the books, I will personally fly to England and yell at Rowling, heh. It would just be so wrong if the two don't get together!  
  
Crazy4RonW: (17th and 18th chapter) Thank you so much!  
  
Magical*Me: Exactly! Harry didn't react or feel bad that Cho was dating someone else at the end, and a lot of other things leading up to Harry/Ginny. And yes, this is a very intricate tale, *sigh* Happy ending though... I think... *blinks*  
  
laura: Thank you SO much! And I have to agree with the Ron thing, he isn't mature enough for a relationship just yet, so yeah, the 6th or 7th book definitely. AS J.K. Rowling said in an interview: There is something going on between Ron and Hermione, just Ron doesn't know it yet... ^_^  
  
The Girl Who Loves To Read: We're all aiming for the 6th book... we can only hope that neither of them die.. or something like that...   
  
Julie: (For Chapter 17 and 18) I think Ron should blame Harry for all the times that that's happened in my story ^_^ Cause I think it was always him that popped up... *rolls eyes* Dang Harry. Thank ya for reviewing!  
  
I Love Redheads: (For chapter 17 and 18) They are pretty much the only logical couple, then again Harry and Ginny is logical too but heck *shrugs* Thanks for reviewing! 


	19. Realizations of Ron

((A/N Okay, I want to make it clear that this chapter may or may not make sense whatsoever ^_^ I wrote this chapter along time ago, but then I thought of something to add... so it may not sound right all together, I don't know. Read and Review! Oh and by the way, I am skipping through time a bit, yeah, you'll see what I mean. I do not own any of this stuff except the characters Lara, Kez, and Damon. And by the way, according to the fanfiction thing there will be 22 chapters on it but only because I did an authors note ))  
  
"Hermione, you should really eat something... you haven't eaten anything all day," Harry murmured to her. December had ended quickly and the New Year had begun again. Break was finally over and classes had begun again.   
  
"I'm not hungry," she replied back. She had been thinking about the Phantom's letter constantly now that Valentines Day was only about a month away.   
  
Ron frowned at her. "C'mon 'Mione... you need to eat something. At least try some of this ham, it's really good." He said as he picked up the platter that had the ham on it and began waving it in front of her face.  
  
Unexpectedly, a large brown barn owl flew into the Great Hall, dropping a small piece of paper right onto the ham.   
  
"Bit late for mail, isn't it?" Ginny said as she looked up at the barn owl as it swooped out the window.   
  
"Well... that was... bizarre," Ron mumbled also looking at the owl.   
  
Hermione picked up the note. "It's to me..." she said as she carefully opened it. "That's odd..." she said as she examined the letter that said: - H  
  
"Odd indeed," Ginny said, looking over her shoulder at the note. Hermione flipped the parchment around and saw sloppily scrawled onto the paper: Phantom.  
  
"And so the phantom strikes again," Harry said, raising one eyebrow at Ron who turned severely red.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ron pulled Harry into the boys' dormitory after dinner by the sleeve. "How long have you known?" He panted.   
  
"What have I known?"" Harry replied.   
  
"You know what I mean!" Ron yelled.   
  
Harry grinned. "Oh, Ginny told me," he replied simply.   
  
"How the bloody 'ell does she know?"   
  
"Hermione told her about a..." Harry held up his fingers and did quotations " 'Masked Phantom' and I guess she supposedly described it as some mask that Fred and George own," he shrugged.   
  
"Just great!" He moaned as he fell backwards onto his bed. "You didn't tell Hermione though, did you?" He asked in a panicky voice.   
  
"No..."  
  
"Good," Ron sighed.   
  
"She wouldn't listen."  
  
"Harry!" Ron yelled as he threw a pillow and Harry's head.   
  
"Don't worry... Ginny and me agreed to stay out of it," He grinned. "So when are you going to send the next letter?"  
  
"I don't know... probably a month or something," he replied, sighing heavily.   
  
"Why are you waiting so long?"  
  
"Cause the next ones the end of the riddle..." he replied.   
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that if she figures out the first two clues she'll know what'd come next."  
  
"Wait...that's right! Ginny told me that Hermione showed her that you sent her a letter with an "eye" on it... You meant "I" not "Eye" Then the -H..." Harry paused for a long moment. "You... you offered her the ham... to her on purpose?" Ron nodded as Harry beamed.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hermione walked into the girls' dormitory with an armful of books. She set her books on her bed and looked through them. Panic flooded through her mind. "Oh no!" She cried. "I left my journal in the common room again!" She was about to dart down the stairs when she saw a black owl perched on the window sill with a letter in it's beak. She cautiously walked towards it as it dropped the letter on the ground. She bent down and picked it up.   
  
The owl flashed its eyes maliciously before spreading it's wings and flying out the window again. The letter had her name on it, neatly printed with black ink. She tore it open and read:  
  
Dearest Hermione,   
  
A darkened sky is almost near  
  
My life without you is what I fear  
  
Meet me in the Forbidden Forest   
  
At exactly 10:00 sharp.   
  
Phantom.   
  
Hermione smiled brightly and threw the note on the ground hastily, completely forgetting about her journal. "Wait a second..." she looked at her watch. "It's 9:45!" she yelled as she slapped her forehead. She threw her coat over her homemade Weasley sweater that she was wearing and dashed down the stairs and quietly crept out of the common room that was nearly empty to the forest.   
  
Ron walked down to the common room just as Hermione had left and sat down on one of the puffy chairs near the fireplace. He quickly sat up and turned around to the couch. A red leather bound book was sitting neatly on the chair. He recognized it once he saw the gold border.   
  
"Hermione shouldn't be letting this lie around." He said as he picked it up off of the chair and sat down. He looked around deviously to see if anyone was watching him. -I know it's wrong to snoop, but I just want to read the page I started last time- he said in his mind. He quickly flipped through the pages until he recognized it as the one he was reading before.   
  
Dear Journal,   
  
Ever since I came back to Hogwarts, it feels like I don't belong here anymore. Now I sort of wish that I hadn't broken up with Victor. I know it's a silly thought but at least he had feelings for me. Ron just doesn't understand how much he actually means to me. But what's the use, he's been acting coldly to me since at least last year. It's just driving me mental how he just sees me as another one of the guys. I hope he'll understand someday, before it's too late that I do truly love him.   
  
  
  
Hermione  
  
Ron froze and gaped at the journal and re-read it at least eight times before Harry walked down into the common room. "What cha doing, mate?" Harry asked as he walked towards him. Ron hid Hermione's journal behind his back.   
  
"Um, nothing... just uh... watching the fire burn," Ron sputtered. Harry raised an eyebrow as if he was going to say something else, but instead he looked over at Ginny who was just walking down from the girls' dormitory.   
  
"Hello Harry, Ron," she said as she plopped down on the couch next to them with a letter in her hand that she began to read through. Her head shot back up as her eyes flashed over at Ron.   
  
"RON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" she yelled.   
  
"Didn't mum tell explain that to you? You see, when a woman and a man love each other very much..." Ron began but was stopped by Ginny grabbing a pillow and throwing it at Ron's head. Ron just merely ducked and it hit Harry in the face instead.   
  
"That's not what I meant stupid!" She bit her lip and looked over at Harry. "Oh... sorry Harry."  
  
"What is with you Weasleys and throwing pillows?" Harry muttered. Ron laughed and looked back at Ginny.   
  
"What DO you mean then?" he asked.   
  
"Why aren't you with Hermione?" she asked.   
  
"I... uh... didn't know I was supposed to be," he shrugged.   
  
"But the letter..."   
  
"What letter?" Ron asked with a furrowed brow.   
  
"The letter you sent..."  
  
"I didn't send a letter to anyone," Ron replied.   
  
"But you're the phantom, right?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Yeah... so. What's this about?"   
  
"This!" She shoved the letter in his face and he quickly read through it.   
  
"I didn't send this," he said with a puzzled expression.   
  
  
  
"Then... who did? And where is Hermione?"   
  
-Meanwhile-  
  
Hermione clambered through the snow covered forest and clutched on tightly to her cloak. "Hello?" she called out. "Anyone here?" She heard a muffled eerie cackle and gulped.   
  
"I have been waiting for you," sad a small squeaky voice as dark figure walked towards her. The person had a large cloak with a hood that covered their face.   
  
"Who... who are you?" she asked shivering as she stepped back.   
  
The person lowered their hood to reveal their rat-like features with a bald spot on their head.   
  
"Wo...Wormtail?" She gasped, backing up farther. "You're the phantom?" Hermione looked as though she was going to be sick.   
  
"No of course not, you see," but it was too late for him to explain. Hermione had already fainted onto the snow covered ground.   
  
"Well that was easier then I thought," Wormtail shrugged and pulled out a piece of paper and casually threw it on the ground. He grabbed her wrists and pulled her deeper into the forest.  
  
-Meanwhile-  
  
"Well, you must have seen her leave the dormitory... why didn't you stop her?" Ron said.   
  
"It's not my fault, I was in my own dormitory finishing homework and went to her dorm to ask for help and found the note on the ground," Ginny snapped.   
  
"Well according to this... she's in the forest," Harry said.  
  
"Uh... right," Ron nodded as Harry rolled his eyes. "Ginny, you stay here if she comes back. C'mon Harry."  
  
"Why do I have to stay behind," Ginny frowned.   
  
"Because you're the youngest," Ron hissed as he ran up the stairs to the boys' dormitory to fetch Harry's invisibility cloak.   
  
"Sorry," Harry said to her as he kissed her on the cheek.   
  
"Be careful..." Ginny mumbled. Ron came back as Harry smiled slightly at her as he and Ron threw on their coats before putting the invisibility cloak over their heads.   
  
  
  
"We'll be right back..." Harry said as he gulped. "Hopefully." He and Ron ran out of the common room to the forest with their wands lighting the way.   
  
"All we have to do, it follow her footprints and it should lead us...to...her, oh no." Harry exclaimed as he quickly stopped in his place.   
  
"What Harry?" Ron asked.   
  
"The footprints...stop... and there's a body imprint in the snow," Harry said.  
  
"Arg... Hermione, why'd you stop and make a snow angel," Ron scowled.   
  
"I don't think she was making snow angels, mate. Look.." he pointed to another spot on the ground and gulped again. "It... it looks like she was... dragged and then... her and the other person... disappeared."  
  
"How could they have disappeared?"  
  
"They could have apparated," Harry suggested.   
  
Ron turned towards him. "Harry, people can't apparate on the grounds of Hog..." he stopped when he saw Harry raise an eyebrow at him. "Sorry... habit."  
  
"...Right," Harry murmured.   
  
"Wait... what's that?" Ron said quickly, pointing to a spot on the ground. Ron bent down and picked up a little piece of paper and read it out loud. "If you want to see your friend again... go to the shrieking shack or else."  
  
Ron looked over at Harry with a horrified face. "Hermione..." he choked out with a shaky voice.   
  
((Woo hoo! This chapter done! That means only two more chappies to go *sigh* I want to make it clear that yes... they will get together in the end and once again I say, no the rose given at Christmas is not the red rose the title is named after. Please Read and Review!  
  
((Some from chapters 18 and 19 (Some from chapter 18 have been posted in chapter 19 ))  
  
Len (From chapter 18): Thank you!  
  
Straycat: (From chapter 18) The next two chapters after this should be very long... I think, I haven't typed them out yet but I'm pretty sure they will be. Thank ya!  
  
Magical*Me: Believe me, there's another thing in my story in the next chapter that was completely destroyed by the fifth book ^_^ Hmmm... I thought I saw bunk beds... *Goes to check Harry Potter 1-5* *Runs back* What the heck are poster beds then? *Shrugs* Anyway... uh... then they suddenly brought in bunk beds...yeah *nods* that's it... Thanks for reviewing.   
  
Julie: She cannot kill off Ron. That would be a sin... wait... *looks at past chapters in my story* Uh... oops. But anyway, yeah, she can't kill off him. At the end of book seven J.K. Rowling says that she's going to put what they're doing after Hogwarts and it better say something like: Ron and Hermione end up getting married and living happily ever after and didn't die until they were very very old! Thanks for reviewing.   
  
N/A: True, She probably is going to kill off a few more characters just hopefully none that we all really care about *cough* Sirius *cough* And yeah, hopefully before the 7th book they'll get together ^_^  
  
Muykiay: Ditto for me, when I heard that there was going to be a big death I could've bet all that I had it was Hagrid, but nope, she had to take the predictable and make it the unpredictable. That's J.K Rowling for you. Keep reviewing!  
  
Crazy4RonW: Thank you!  
  
HerMioNe WeaSlEy: I actually didn't think that me killing Ron would actually make people that mad ^_^ lol, but I guess if I was reading it I would be mad also. I might make a sequel after this, if enough people told me to, but I wasn't really planning on it. I am going to do a R/Hr humor and romance fic that I will be posting up next week and I was going to start a story for after the actual 5th book. But I dunno, I might to a sequel to this if enough people tell me to. 


	20. Destinys Curse and the Red Rose

((A/N: Allo, this will be the second to the last chapter of this story *sigh* Well, carry on!))  
  
"Bring her here, Wormtail," Said a bone chilling voice that was coming from a dark, shadowed side of a clammy, boarded up room.   
  
"As you wish, my lord," said Wormtail in his normal squeaky voice as he dragged the unconscious Hermione along the floor.   
  
"Don't be rude, Wormtail. Put her in the chair," the voice hissed. Wormtail did his best to push her into a chair that was in the middle of the room. As soon as she sat down ropes sprung out from the chair and gripped around her.   
  
"Excellent..." The figure stepped forward to reveal a snakelike man with slits for eyes and a very pale complexion. He stepped right next to Hermione and ran one of his long pointed fingernails along the side of her cheek which awoke her immediately. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out.   
  
"So I finally meet Miss Hermione Granger," he hissed. "Bring out the other one Wormtail," he called.   
  
Wormtail nodded and walked through a small door and dragged out a lifeless looking blonde boy. Malfoy looked paler then his bleached blonde hair and was dressed in torn school robes that had a large blood stain near his shoulder.   
  
"Pity really... one of my own servants... the heir of the protector," Voldemort shook his head with dismay. "Lock them both away." he yelled as he stepped a few feet away from Hermione. Wormtail nodded and threw Malfoy onto the ground next to Hermione and walked over to a dark corner and pressed something. A cage instantly surrounded them, not made of steel or any metal material, but made of some white beams. Hermione was now free of the chair that had some how disappeared and raced over to Malfoy who was sprawled out on the ground with blood dripping down his face.   
  
"Draco...Draco," she called. His eyes slowly flickered open and he looked up at her.   
  
"What? Where am I?" he said, looking around.   
  
"I don't know exactly... but we need to get out of here," she murmured to him.   
  
"You see... I'm afraid that is impossible. These bars can hold anyone or anything in... even a... ghost, for example," Voldemort smirked as he snapped a finger. A large glowing cage came down from the ceiling with the Grey Lady struggling in it.   
  
"Lara!" Hermione cried.   
  
"You let them go, Tom! They're just children..." Lara yelled.   
  
"There is no Tom!" He roared.   
  
"You know, I never liked you. You were always such a cruel little boy. I could sense it the day you walked in on your first day of Hogwarts!" She spat.   
  
"Quiet!" Voldemort boomed. "Now... as I was saying. I need these children more then I need you here," he sneered at her.   
  
Lara flashed a glance at Malfoy. "I understand what you want with Hermione... but what about the boy?" she murmured.   
  
"You do not even recognize the heir of Merzile?" Voldemort grinned twistedly, walking closer to Lara's cage.   
  
Lara's eyes widened. "You horrid..." she swore loudly.   
  
"Merzile?" Hermione and Draco said with a puzzled expression.   
  
"Wormtail! Grab me my chair. I need to give a little... history lesson. At least until the two others get here," he grinned slyly as Wormtail pushed an large leather chair to him.   
  
"Oh no! Ron and Harry!" Hermione screamed.   
  
"Now... as I was saying..." Voldemort began. "As you know, there were four founders of Hogwarts. Two founders more so enemies then companions, Salazar Slytherin, and Godric Gryffindor." Voldemort said.   
  
"I was best friends with Godric when we were in our teenage years, a few years before they founded the school. We had another friend... Merzile Gera. He didn't quite see eye to eye with us, but he was always there for us. He had a twisted mind and always liked getting into trouble with the Ministry" Lara murmured. "But...there was another person..." Lara glared at Voldemort.   
  
"Godric always got in the way of Salazar's work. So naturally, he sought to kill him," Voldemort hissed.   
  
"Merzile found out about the plan and told me. We decided to do our best to save Godric by putting a spell on each other, to make us his protectors."  
  
"The system was called the Red Rose, which was only used out of love for their friend. Salazar found out and did his best to come up with a plan that the Red rose could not protect Godric against." Voldemort mumbled.   
  
"... I was in love with Godric, but I never told him. He knew that if Salazar found out a way to get around the Red Rose, the wizarding world would be full of darkness that no one could stop. So the only way was to have an heir of his own, so his children could protect the others. So he married and his wife bared a daughter. But he and his wife knew they weren't in love with each other..."  
  
"That's right. He was in love with you, wasn't he?" Voldemort smirked. "Well, anyway, Salazar found out a way to kill Godric, and poisoned him."  
  
Lara sighed heavily from her cage. "A month after he was married and before he was poisoned, me and Merzile decided to get married ourselves and have children of our own, so that the Red Rose would continue through our children, so they could defeat the evil inside of Slytherin. So I married a man named Arak and had my daughter, Elana. Arak and I broke up a month after Elana was born and he took care of Elana. A month later, on the day of Godric's 32nd birthday, Godric was poisoned... I was there when he died." Lara whimpered. "He told me... that he had always been in love with me. But... I never replied. I never told him... how I truly felt... and he died."  
  
"You two have obviously heard of soul mates, and destiny and whatnot." Voldemort said to Hermione and Draco who nodded with bewildered expressions, wondering why he was talking to them about that.   
  
"Well... you see. It was destiny for Lara and Godric to be together, but they didn't know it, therefore did nothing about it. But that was the problem...they never were together. Some magic is different than others. So their love haunted their heir's veins. But there was a slight problem..."  
  
"None of them matched up like Godric and me. They had to be the same age, the same gender, and the same magic flowing inside of them. For one thing, Godric was born with magical parents and I wasn't " she said quickly. "So the destiny was never sealed..."  
  
"Until now that is..." Voldemort sneered, glancing over at Hermione.   
  
"Wait... who's the heir of Gryffindor?" Draco asked.   
  
"Well, he should be arriving... right, about." As if on cue, Harry and Ron burst through one of the doors with their wands out, now pointing straight at Voldemort.   
  
Voldemort chuckled at them. "Do you actually think you can hurt me with those, you silly little boys," Voldemort held out his hands and their wands shot into them. "Don't worry... I'm not going to kill you with these." He dropped their wands onto the ground.   
  
"Now let's see..." He looked around the room at all the people and smirked. "Let me see: there's one heir of Gryffindor, one heir of Merzile, one heir of Lara, Lara herself..." He flashed a glance at Wormtail who was shivering in a corner of the room. "One measly rodent... one heir of Slytherin, and the boy who lived..." He cackled. "Now..." he sighed heavily. "I would like to get something off my chest before I kill you all."  
  
Lara glared at him.   
  
"Miss. Freedingwald has been asking about this ever since she arrived... why was it Harry. Well, Harry, do you remember in your third year when you went to Professor Trewlany and she predicted that Wormtail would rise and become my faithful servant again... and then Dumbledore said that it was the second time she made a true prediction? Well... before I began to fulfill Salazar's work, I went to her to see if there were to be any flaws. At this time your Professor Trewlany was only a fortuneteller in Diagon Alley. She told me there was one... one person that could destroy all my work... you. So stupidly, your parents made Wormtail their secret keeper and Wormtail told me exactly where they were. So I decided I would just kill you then and there, so the prophecy would never come true. But they wouldn't stay out of the way. And well, you know the rest." Voldemort shrugged.   
  
"But that doesn't mean you have an advantage here," Lara yelled.   
  
"You see that's where you're wrong." He held out his hands again and caught both of the wands that were lying on the ground. "I have their wands." He smirked and pointed one of the wands at Ron. "Avada..." Lara breathed in deeply and ran straight threw the cage. She hastily floated to the ground and landed on her feet with one hand clutched around her from the pain.   
  
"Don't you dare," Lara sneered at him.   
  
Voldemort turned to her and smirked. "And what do you think you're going to do?"  
  
"Just because I'm a ghost, doesn't mean that I don't have magic," Lara said. She quickly glanced over at Ron and Harry and motioned towards the cages that Hermione and Draco were locked in. They nodded and ran towards them.  
  
Lara smirked and stepped towards Voldemort. "Let's finish this like I should have over a thousand years ago."  
  
"Before we start, I think we should make this a little more fair," He pointed his wand at her. "Mortalia Exerctia," He yelled. A flash of light hit her. She began to glow as her body raised in the air. Her body and clothes began to turn their natural shade of color, as she became a whole figure. The glowing stopped and she fell to the ground. Instead of her silvery clothes and hair, she had long wavy brown hair with a long blue silky dress on. She didn't look like she was a day over 30.   
  
"He made her mortal." Ron gulped.   
  
"But... that's against the code of Merlin," Hermione murmured.   
  
"Harry, look for a trigger to get rid of this cage," Ron said. Harry began to look around for a type of lever.   
  
Ron quickly looked back at Lara who could barely stand up straight. "Oh no... She doesn't know how to walk."  
  
"She hasn't been walking for over a thousand years," Hermione murmured.  
  
Voldemort quickly looked over at Lara. "Arania eximay," He yelled to her as a beam of light hit her as she fell over onto the ground.   
  
"Now..." he looked back at Ron who was also looking around for any kind of lever. Voldemort extended his head and a purple light clutched around Ron and lifted him in the air, his head now drooping low. "You better not struggle or you'll only die faster."  
  
"Hermione..." He croaked. "I need you to do something for me..."  
  
((A/N: Ah yes... the ultimate cliffhanger... *gulps* Please don't kill me! I do not like being killed! But I did need a cliffhanger for the last chapter *shrugs*  
  
Anyway, please check out my new Humor/Romance called "Freaky Friday" in which the professors come up with a twisted plan to keep Ron and Hermione from fighting so much by letting them know how hard the other persons life is... in a twisted sort of way ^_^. But Ron and Hermione make the worst of the situation and decide to ruin each others lives in a whole new way.   
  
And I might not make a sequel to this. I am planning on making a sequel to the actual fifth book but wasn't planning on making one for this one. So if enough people tell me to make a sequel of this one, then I will.   
  
Last thing I want to say is that I came up with the reason why Voldemort wanted to kill Harry BEFORE the actual 5th book came out. More about what I mean after the next chapter.   
  
Thank you to all of my reviewers!:  
  
I love Orlando Bloom: Thankyou!   
  
HerMioNe WeaSlEy: I'm not sure. I might. But check out my new one: Freaky Friday! Thanks for reviewing!   
  
  
  
muykiay:A funeral, eh. Hmm... lol True, J.K. will probably make the least expecting person die.   
  
Julie: I say we all fly to England and protest if she kills of Ron and Hermione ^_^ jk. But it wouldn't be that bad of an idea ^_^  
  
Magical*Me: I KNOW!!! I feel so cool after reading that agaiN!!!! I could have foreshadowed something without even knowing it!!! Well *cough* Anyway, thank you!!!!  
  
  
  
Wicked Witch of Slytherin: There is so much truth in that ^_^ 


	21. The True Identity of the Masked Phantom

((A/N: *sniffles* Last chapter to this story. I hope all of you like the ending!By the way, I re-posted this chapter because with the whole name changing thing (By the way as soon as it allows me to change my name my writing name will be Hollow Haven) it didn't post the last chapter on the list or something))  
  
Hermione looked up at the floating Ron with a horrified expression and nodded. "Hermione... Open the bracelet I gave you," He choked.   
  
She looked down at her wrist and saw the bracelet with the locket dangling on her wrist that she normally couldn't get open. She did her best to pry it open. Instantly, pieces of paper shot out of it and floated in front of her face. She quickly grabbed it out of the air and read it- Ron Weasley. "But...Ron, this just says..." she blinked and studied it again.   
  
Then it all dawned on her. Everything started to make sense. She realized why the phantom's voice and eyes were so familiar to her. She now knew the real reason why Ron was in the common room before the ball ended. The letters she got... the first one didn't mean "eye" it meant "I" and Ron had purposely offered her the ham at the feast...so the next letter would drop onto it. Ham, minus the "H" was "am": I am Ron Weasley. It had to mean that Ron was the heir of Gryffindor... that's why Ron had awakened after the Varax attack. She was one of Ron's protectors. It was destiny. Ron sent that letter, not Harry, not Damon... Ron. It was all Ron... the love of her life actual loved her back. She couldn't believe it. She looked back up at Ron who was struggling to break free.   
  
"Ron!" She cried.   
  
"I think I found something," Harry yelled as he pushed a rusty lever down the best he could until the glowing bars of the cage dissolved.   
  
"Not. So. Fast." Said a voice from behind Voldemort. Lara had a knife against Voldemort's throat. Voldemort quickly moved a foot forward then turned around towards her so the knife wouldn't cut him. That broke Voldemort's concentration and Ron fell lifelessly to the ground.   
  
"A sly little girl, aren't you," He hissed. "Fine... we do it the muggle way;" He rolled his eyes as he pulled his sword out of its sheath that was on his belt.   
  
"Get yourselves out of here;" Lara mouthed to Harry and the rest of them.   
  
"But what about you?" Harry replied.   
  
"I've died before," she murmured. "Just go!"  
  
Harry nodded and grabbed onto Ron's arms as Draco picked up his feet and carried him quickly out of the house. It was a brisk sort of feeling, walking outside from being in the death chamber. The sun was rising just as the snow began to fall. Harry and Draco set Ron down onto any type of ground that didn't have snow on it yet.   
  
"Ron," Hermione muttered as she kneeled beside him and shook him. A single tear rolled down Hermione's face and landed on Ron's forehead. His eyes fluttered for a moment before they completely opened.   
  
"'Mione?" He croaked out.   
  
She nodded and smiled. "I'm sorry Ron," She muttered.  
  
"Sorry for what?" He asked.   
  
"For thinking that Damon wrote that letter," She whispered as she ran her fingers through his hair. He smiled brightly. He was about to say something but was interrupted by a loud explosion at the Shrieking Shack. Smoke filled the air as they tried to swat it away. Harry could barely see the outline of two figures emerging from the smoke. He raised his wand but lowered it when he saw Lara running towards them, pulling someone along by the collar.   
  
"I believe he belongs to you," she said as she pushed Wormtail towards Malfoy who grabbed him by the neck as Wormtail screeched.   
  
"Where's Voldemort?" Harry asked.   
  
"He escaped," Lara panted. "I caught that little rat before he could escape to. Voldemort... blew the house up to get away... " She said. She looked over at Ron and Hermione. "I hope the best for you two... all of you," she smiled. "Now... I must go."  
  
"But why?" Ron asked.   
  
  
  
"I don't belong here... now that my work here is done... I can finally leave," she grinned. "I'll miss you all." She took a few steps back and turned around. Instantly, her clothes and hair began to turn their natural silver color as a beam of light surrounded her. A young man with piercing red hair stepped up beside her and took her hand. They both waved at them and stepped another foot forward and disappeared.   
  
"Was that..." Malfoy begun?   
  
  
  
"Gryffindor?" Harry muttered.  
  
"Well that's something you don't see everyday," Malfoy blinked bizarrely.   
  
Hermione looked back down at Ron and smiled. "'Mione... there's something I need to tell you," he whispered.   
  
She put her finger against his lips. "I know, Ron." She whispered back as she smiled even more brightly. "I love you too... I always have," she said, tears flooding her eyes. He placed his hand on her cheek and brushed her tears away. She leaned over to him and put her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips against his. It was a kiss that was real, not one a secretive one or accidental. After awhile, Harry broke them apart.   
  
"Okay, okay... break it up, you're making me gag," Harry coughed.   
  
"Well... it looks like a happy ending to all;" Draco shrugged grabbing onto Wormtail's neck even harder. "Well... almost everyone."  
  
"Destiny has finally been put together..." Harry said smiling.   
  
"You and Ginny are finally together," Ron added, rolling his eyes.   
  
"And... I get to spend the summer, living with my godfather... and.;" Harry began, but was interrupted by Wormtail gulping loudly.  
  
"Uh oh," Wormtail murmured.  
  
"What do you mean uh oh," Harry said as Malfoy passed Wormtail over to Harry so Harry could look him directly.   
  
"Well...uh...you see." He gulped again. "Uh...when me and My Lord entered the house with those two," he pointed to Draco and Hermione. "Uh... and you see... Sirius Black was already there...and, he, so...uhh... we sort of tied him up and....put him in the basement... so..." he pointed towards the burnt down house. "Please don't hurt me... I only follow orders." Wormtail pleaded.   
  
Harry dropped to the grounds and fell to his knees. "I... I can't believe... he's gone..." Harry whimpered. Wormtail slowly began to creep away, but Malfoy grabbed him again by the neck.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I sentence you; Peter Pettigrew to the Dementor's Kiss." The Minister of Magic boomed from behind a desk in Dumbledore's office. "For planned murder of these four," he pointed to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco. "Murder of Sirius Black and association with he-who-must-not-be-named. Take him away!" He yelled as a pair of eerie green hands grabbed onto Wormtail's shoulders and pulled him out of the room with their black cloaks, flowing behind them.   
  
Mr. Weasley (The Minister of Magic) looked over at them with an agonizing look in his eyes. "Are you kids all right?" He asked them.   
  
"I think so Mr. Weasley... I mean, Minister sir," Draco muttered.  
  
"Well, you best be off then. Oh... and Harry... my sincere regrets. Even though I am Minister, I still asked Dumbledore if you could stay with us this summer, but he insisted that you go to your uncle and aunts house first." Harry nodded solemnly and followed the rest of them out of Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, running towards him and throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. "I was so worried," she whimpered as he hugged her back. "Are you all right?" She asked him, lying her head on his shoulders.   
  
"I will be... now that you're here," he muttered as she smiled.   
  
"And you two!" Ginny said, breaking free of Harry and looking over at Ron and Hermione. "I'm sick of this! You fancy him. You fancy her. Kiss already!" She yelled.  
  
"She obviously doesn't know," Ron murmured to Harry who laughed.   
  
"Just play along," Hermione whispered to Ron through the corner of her mouth. Ron shrugged and leaned over to Hermione and kissed her hard on the lips again. They broke apart and looked at Ginny.  
  
"Happy?" Ron asked smiling.   
  
"Very," Ginny replied with a sly grin as she turned back towards Harry as Ron rolled his eyes at her.   
  
"C'mon... let's go," Harry said, putting his arms around Ginny as they, Ron and Hermione walked up to the Gryffindor common room, parting from Draco who walked back up to the Slytherin common room.   
  
- A few months later-  
  
"All aboard!" Yelled someone from the front of the Hogwarts express. Just then, a tall boy with bleached blonde hair walked passes them and purposely bumped into Ron.   
  
"Move it Weasel," the boy sneered as he walked away.   
  
"What's wrong with him," Ron asked.   
  
"Lila just broke up with him for a Ravenclaw," said a voice from behind them. They turned around and saw Hannah with her blonde hair tied back into pigtails as she held a bag of luggage in her hands.  
  
"Well there goes that friendship," Ron rolled his eyes.   
  
"Yes and we were just getting used to Malfoy's company," Hermione added.  
  
"Well, I just wanted to say goodbye and congratulations to both of you," Hannah smiled.   
  
"For what? We've only been together for the past four months," Ron said.   
  
"Five, Ron," Hermione said as Ron's face turned slightly red.   
  
"Not that silly," she replied. "For both of you making prefect next year. The Ministry was so impressed with your O.W.L score, Ron, that he instantly made you Gryffindor prefect next year."  
  
"How do you know that?" Ron asked.   
  
"A little birdie told me," she winked as she pulled out a prefect badge herself and smiled. "Well, Happy summer," she waved as she skipped off.   
  
"I've dated two prefects this year..." Ron said with a furrowed brow of amazement as Hermione jabbed him slightly.   
  
"Anyway... I didn't know you were going to be a prefect next year," Hermione said to him.   
  
"Neither did I," he shrugged as they boarded the train. They entered a compartment to find Ginny and Harry kissing exuberantly.   
  
"That's it Potter! You crossed that line again! I don't want you at my house this summer!" Ron laughed as he pulled them apart. They both blushed and sat back in their seats as Ron and Hermione sat down.   
  
"This is going to be one interesting summer," Harry said, putting his arm around Ginny.  
  
"You can say that again," Ron murmured.   
  
"This is..." Harry began but Ron put his hand up to stop him.   
  
"Shut up Harry," Ron said to him.   
  
~ THE END ~  
  
((A/N: Okay, one thing is the only reason I killed Sirius in this one is that if I do make a sequel to this and all, I wanted it to at least sort of match up to the actual 5th book. So sadly, yes this is the last chapter. Just for fun I wanted to say all the things that were not going to happen when I first thought of this...   
  
When I first started this I intentionally thought it was going to be probably 5 chapters long.   
  
The was in fact to be meant for the rose Ron gave Hermione at Christmas, and it was basically going to end at Christmas.   
  
The journal was not going to be brought up again.   
  
Harry and Ginny were not going to get together.   
  
Lara ((The Grey Lady)) was not going to be brought up again and all she was going to do was give them mysterious advice at the beginning.   
  
The fact that Lara told Ron that she watched her love die before her own eyes and then Hermione watched Ron die, at the time of posting that I had totally forgotten that Lara had almost the same experience until a reviewer reminded me that Hermione was having the same experience as Lara which gave me the idea of making Lara and Hermione related, so I thank the reviewer who said that!   
  
Mr. Weasley was not going to end of being the Minister of Magic, intentionally it was going to be Dumbledore, but I thought that would be too difficult and a little obvious.   
  
Sirius was not going to die ((And let me say that I did indeed write Sirius dying before the actual fifth book come out because I wanted there to be some angst and that Harry wouldn't end up going to live with Sirius *shrugs*))  
  
Malfoy was not going to be nice to them. As you might notice, he was mean to Hermione at the beginning of this story. And when I did make Malfoy nice, he was going to be nice throughout the entire story, even at the end. I first planned for the person that bumps Ron to be Damon, but I changed it.   
  
My first intention was that Harry and Cho stay together through out this story ((She would have still been a ditz)) and then Harry would burst at the end and break up with her or something, but I didn't really like the whole Harry and Cho thing to begin with so I put Harry with Ginny.   
  
I put this fact in the last chapter too but I was SO angry that J.K Rowling put almost the same exact reason why Voldemort wanted to kill Harry in the first place. The fact that it had to do with a prophecy that Trewlany made before she actually became a professor. When I first wrote that I thought that was the best reason but when I saw J.K. Rowling wrote that, I didn't want people to think that I copied it ((Which is very selfish of me)) and I was actually thinking of changing the reason. But ended up sticking with it.   
  
Thank you all of my reviewers throughout my story!!!!!! You all are awesome!!!!!  
  
muykiay: Thanks! And of course I wouldn't leave off with a cliffhanger, that would be too cruel ^_^. But I have decided that I will be making a 6th book (Not a sequel to this one) so watch out for that!  
  
Julie: Yeah, I tried to make it as non-confusing as I could, but if I changed things around I just thought that would make it more confusing. Thanks for reviewing!!  
  
S.H. Weasley: *sighs* Yes, yes I am. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Magical*Me: I just thought it was kind of odd that it was sort of the same *shrugs* Thanks!!  
  
Wicked Witch of Slytherin: Thanks for reviewing!  
  
celle: Thanks!  
  
Strawberries and Blueberries: ^_^ Thank ya! 


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